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II 







THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY 
REPORTER 





‘“I RFXKON I CAN TRUST YOU FREE FOR AWHILE.’” 

(See page 144.) 


THE ADVENTURES OF A 
BOY REPORTER 


BY 

HARRY STEELE MORRISON 

AUTHOR OF 

“A YANKEE BOY’S SUCCESS” 


IllustrateU fjg 
L. J. BRIDGMAN 



BOSTON 

L. C. PAGE & COMPANY 
MDCCCC 


326G.3 


r.O 


l^ibrs*! J 

llWo '-v j- - 

AUG 9 is^OO 

1 Copyr'g^"'^ 

tc/9<^ 





SECOHO COPY. 

OeUivesed to 

ORDER DIVISION, 

AUG 10 1900 




67477 

Copyright, igoo 
By L. C. Page & Company 

(incorporated) 

All rights reserved 



CONTENTS 


CHAPTER I. 

^ Living in the Country — Life at School — The 
i Hut Club is Formed — The Coming of the 
^ Circus 

i 

CHAPTER 11. 

Archie Longs for a Change in Surroundings — 
A Trip to New York with Uncle Henry 

CHAPTER III. 

Archie Determines to Go to the City to Work 
— Leaving Home at Night 

CHAPTER IV. 

Working on a Farm to Earn Some IVIoney — Cruel 
Treatment 


CHAPTER V. 

The Night among the Ruins — The Camp-fire of 
THE Tramps 


CHAPTER VI. 

Stealing a Ride — Kicked Out by the Brakeman 


PAGE 

13 

22 

31 

38 

46 

54 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER VII. 

PAGE 

Arrival in New York — A Night in a Lodging- 
house 64 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Looking for Work — Washing Dishes in a Bowery 
Restaurant 71 


CHAPTER IX. 

In the Street Again — The Police Station — 
Visits the Newspaper Office, and is Kindly 
Received by the Editor 78 

CHAPTER X. 

Living in Comfort Again — Featured as “ The Boy 

Reporter” • . . .89 

CHAPTER XL 

A Day and a Night in Coney Island — Raiding 
A Gambling Den’ 96 

CHAPTER XII. 

A Successful Reporter — The Editor Decides to 
Send Him as Correspondent to the Philip- 
pines Leaving New York — In Chicago . 105 

CHAPTER XHI. 

San Francisco — The Transport Gone — Working 
His Way to Honolulu by Peeling Vegetables 
on a Pacific Liner — The Capital of Hawaii 116 

CHAPTER XIV. • 

The Voyage on the Transport — A Storm at Sea 
— Arrival in Manila 125 



CONTENTS, 


vii 


CHAPTER XV. 



Archie Starts 

Out on an Exploring 

Tour, 

PAGE 

AND 

Has Some 

Strange Adventures 

AMONG 

THE 

Natives — 

Seized by the Rebels 

. . 

• 133 


CHAPTER XVI. 

A Pleasant Captor — Brave Bill Hickson Allows 
Archie to Escape — First Glimpse of Agui- 
NALDO 142 


CHAPTER XVII. 

Arrival of the American Troops — Archie the 
Hero of the Regiment 151 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

The March after the Rebels — The First Battle 
— Archie Wounded 160 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Return to Manila — In the Hospital — Congratu- 
lated BY All — Writing to the Paper of His 
Experiences i 73 


CHAPTER XX. 

Around the Island on a War -ship — Bombarding 
A Filipino Town 184 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Continuing the Cruise — Another Village Cap- 
tured — The Admiral Archie’s Friend — A 
Great Battle and an Unexpected Victory 
— Longing to be Home Again . . . .193 


CONTENTS. 


viii 


CHAPTER XXII. 

PAGE 

Return to Headquarters — A Letter from the 
Editor, with Permission to Return to New 
York — Bill Hickson Goes, Too . . . 206 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Hong Kong — A Happy Time in Tokio — Honolulu 
Again — Arrival in San Francisco, and a 
Great Reception by the Press — Archie and 
Bill Arrive in New York, and are the Heroes 
OF THE Hour 215 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

Doing “Special” Work upon the Evening Paper 
— Interviews with Famous Men — Calls upon 
Old Friends 224 


CHAPTER XXV. 

Private Secretary to a Millionaire — Studying 
AT Evening School — Living amid Elegant 
Surroundings 234 


CHAPTER XXVI. 

Decides to Visit Home — A Great Reception in 
THE Town — A Public Character Now — Din- 
ner TO THE Hut Club — Demonstration at 
the Town Hall — A Telegram from His Em- 
ployer — Leaving for Europe . . . . 


244 


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

“ ‘ I RECKON I CAN TRUST YOU FREE FOR AWHILE.’ ” 

Frontispiece 

“‘You’re one of us, then, laddie.’” ... 54 

“‘Well, my boy, what is it?”’ . . . . 84 

“ He . . . FOUND THE GREAT MAN TO BE QUITE AS 

PLEASANT AS HE WAS INTERESTING”. . -113 

“It was all over very soon.” . . . .168 

“ The admiral was dumfounded”. . . . 203 



4 

'4 


0 


% 


I • 

) 

I 


THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY 
REPORTER. 


CHAPTER I. 

LIVING IN THE COUNTRY LIFE AT SCHOOL — THE 

HUT CLUB IS FORMED THE COMING OF THE 

CIRCUS. 

‘‘ Yes,” said Mrs. Dunn to her neighbour, Mrs. 
Sullivan, *‘we are expecting great things of Archie, 
and yet we sometimes hardly know what to think 
of the boy. He has the most remarkable ideas of 
things, and there seems to be absolutely no limit to 
his ambition. He has long since determined that he 
will some day be President, and he expects to enter 
politics the day he is twenty-one.” 

*‘Is that so, indeed,” said Mrs. Sullivan. ‘‘Well, 
we can never tell what is going to come of our boys. 
As I says to Dannie to-day, says I, ‘ Dannie, you must 
13 


14 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

do your best to be somebody and make something of 
yourself, for you and Jack bees all that I has to 
depend upon now.’ But Dannie pays no attention 
to my entreaties, and somehow it seems to me that 
since Mr. Sullivan died the boys are gettin’ worse 
and worse. It’s beyond me to control them, any- 
how.” 

“Oh, take heart, Mrs. Sullivan,” said Mrs. Dunn, 
“our boys will all turn out well in the end, and all 
we can do is to bring them up in the best way we 
know, and trust to them to take care of themselves 
after they leave home. Now Dannie is certainly an 
industrious lad. I hear him pounding nails all day 
long in the back yard, and he made a good job of 
shingling the woodshed the other day. He seems 
made to be a carpenter.” 

“Yes, I think so myself,” said the Widow Sulli- 
van. “ The whole lot of them is out by the railroad 
now, building a hut. They’ve organised a ^Hut 
Club ’ to-day, and never a lick of work have I had 
out of them boys since mornin’. They’ve always got 
something going on, and when I want a bit of water 
from the well, or a little wood from the shed, they’re 
never around.” 

“Yes, but boys will be boys, Mrs. Sullivan, and 


LIVING IN THE COUNTRY. 1 5 

we’d better keep them contented at home as long as 
we can. They’ll be leaving us soon enough. It 
seems that no boys are content to stay in town any 
longer ; they’re all anxious to be off to the city.” 

“That’s true, that’s true, Mrs. Dunn,” said Mrs. 
Sullivan. “ I must be going now. I’m much obliged 
for the rain-water, and whenever you want a bit of 
milk call over the fence, and I’ll bring it to you with 
pleasure. It’s a good neighbour you are, Mrs. 
Dunn.” 

And Mrs. Sullivan went slowly around the house 
and out at the front gate, while good Mrs. Dunn 
returned to her ironing, a few clothes having to be 
ready for Sunday. 

While these mothers were discussing their boys, 
the youngsters themselves were busy behind the 
barn, building a hut down near the railway track. 
There were six of them altogether, the three extra 
ones, besides Archie Dunn and the Sullivan boys, 
having come from across the railway to play for the 
day. Two hours before they had solemnly organised 
themselves into the “ Hut Club,” each boy walking 
three times around the block blindfolded, and swear- 
ing upon his return to be true to all the rules and 
regulations of the organisation, which had been 


1 6 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

written with chalk on the side of the barn. The 
regulations were numerous, but the most important 
one was that no East Side boys were to be allowed 
within the club-room when it was built, and that the 
club’s policy should be one of warfare against the 
East Siders on every occasion when they met. This 
fight against the East Side was, indeed, responsible 
for the organisation of the club. It was felt neces- 
sary to have some head to their forces, and some 
means of holding together. So the club was organ- 
ised, and now the next thing on the programme was 
the erection of a hut to serve as a club-house. Archie 
Dunn, who had been elected president, volunteered 
to get three boards and a hammer if the other boys 
would each get two boards and some nails. This 
proposition was agreed to, and when the boys re- 
turned from their foraging expeditions it was found 
that there were more than enough boards to build 
the hut, so the work began at once. Holes were 
dug in the ground, and some posts planted as sup- 
ports for the structure, and then the boards were 
hastily nailed together from post to post. In three 
hours the hut was practically completed, and it 
remained only to lay a floor until they could hold 
their first meeting in the new club-house. The floor 


THE HUT CLUB IS FORMED. 1 7 

itself was down by noon, and the club then served a 
memorable dinner to mark the completion of the 
structure. 

A hole was dug in the ground outside the door, 
and a furnace made. A skillet was brought from 
Archie’s house, together with some dishes and a 
coffee-pot, and Dan Sullivan brought some more 
dishes, and six eggs from his nests under the barn. 
The boys were obliged to make several trips to and 
from the houses, but finally nearly everything was 
ready, and the eggs were carefully cooked by Archie, 
who was really a good housekeeper, from long ex- 
perience in the kitchen with his mother. Some 
potatoes were fried in the grease remaining in the 
skillet after the eggs were cooked, and then the feast 
began. The eggs may have been rather black with 
grease, and the potatoes were certainly not done, 
but the boys all pronounced it the finest meal of 
their lives, notwithstanding the bitter coffee, and the 
dirty bread, which had been allowed to fall into the 
gutter beside the railway track. They were eating 
in their own house, and they had cooked in the 
open air, ^‘just like tramps,” Harry Rafe said, and 
it was little wonder that they enjoyed the novel 
experience. 


1 8 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

The only trouble came when the meal was fin- 
ished. No one wanted to wash the dishes, and, 
finally, it was decided to return them to their re- 
spective kitchens just as they were, and to let them 
be washed with the rest of the dinner dishes at home. 
And this decision came near putting an end to Hut 
Club dinners, for both Mrs. Dunn and the Widow 
Sullivan were determined not to wash any more 
dirty dishes from the hut. 

When the meal was over, the boys lounged about 
the hut, and Dan Sullivan brought a lot of things 
from his sister’s playhouse with which to furnish it 
more suitably. Archie Dunn brought a lot of hay 
from the loft in his mother’s barn, and when a piece 
of old carpet was spread upon it it made an accept- 
able couch. A piece of old carpet was laid in front 
of the hut, too, where the boys could sit and watch 
the trains switching back and forth on the railway, 
and the tramps who were heating coffee in cans over 
by the cattle-pen. 

Finally, some cattle arrived in the pen to be loaded 
into cars for the city, and the boys had just decided 
to go and watch the men loading them, when an 
engine came up the side-track with the most beauti- 
ful car they had ever seen, behind it. The car was 


THE COMING OF THE CIRCUS. 


19 


painted in all colours of the rainbow, and in giant 
letters was printed the magic name of The World’s 
Greatest Show.” 

The boys lost no time in getting down from the 
cattle-pen fence, and the car had barely stopped when 
they were aboard. Hooray,” shouted Charlie Huff- 
man, we’ll all get jobs of passin’ bills.” And it 
was with this end in view that they sought the 
advertising manager in the car, who promised to give 
them all jobs when the circus came in two weeks. 
The boys deluged him with questions of every sort. 

Will there be any elephants ? ” “ Is there goin’ 

to be a parade ? ” and ‘‘ Will there be any trapeze 
performances The poor man was finally obliged 
to lock the door to keep them out, and the boys 
stood about the car until nearly six o’clock, admiring 
the paintings, and speculating as to whether they 
would be able to work their way into the circus or 
not, when it finally came. Their speculations were 
interrupted by the appearance on the scene of the 
Widow Sullivan with a good-sized maple switch, 
which she used to good effect in getting the two 
Sullivans and Archie Dunn home for supper. For 
Mrs. Dunn had given Mrs. Sullivan instructions be- 
fore she started, so that when Archie complained 


20 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

that he had been whipped by ^‘that woman next 
door,” he received no sympathy whatever. 

And when he went to bed at nine o’clock, he could 
hardly sleep for thinking of the wonderful things 
which had happened this day. The coming circus 
and the great Hut Club kept him awake until far after 
ten, so that he got up too late for Sunday school the 
next morning, and was punished accordingly. 

The next week was a hard one at school, and the 
boys had but little time to devote to the club. But 
after four o’clock in the afternoon they sometimes 
got together and did various things which improved 
their club-house. Some very fair chairs were con- 
structed from empty soap boxes, and various contriv- 
ances were put together to guard against the intrusion 
of any East Siders or tramps while they were away 
at school. There was no padlock used, and any one 
coming up to the hut would imagine it a simple thing 
to enter — until he tried. But the boys had fixed 
a secret cord which, when pulled, shifted the bar 
inside, and every boy was sworn not to betray the 
existence of the cord. 

Some books were collected, too, and there was 
quite a library. Dan Sullivan and Harry Rafe wanted 
to bring some dime novels, but Archie, the president, 


THE COMING OF THE CIRCUS. 


21 


objected. ‘‘Those books do no boy any good,” he 
said, “because they teach us things which are not 
true to life. If any boy had ever done these things, 
the books would be all right, but as it is, they are 
simply wild tales, without an essence of truth.” 
Charlie Huffman, who was as black as coal, but who 
was popular with every boy in the neighbourhood, 
applauded these sentiments, but Dan and Harry 
thought that Archie was preaching, and went home 
sullen, vowing never to come back again. 

But they were there all right next day after school, 
and never again did they say anything about wanting 
to have dime novels to read. 

The day set for the circus came nearer and nearer, 
and the boys began to be anxious for fear the schools 
would not close, so that they could attend. But the 
superintendent finally announced that they would ; so 
early on the eventful day the entire club was on the 
grounds, waiting to get some work to do. Archie 
Dunn got the first job, being selected to carry water 
for the elephant because he was stronger than any of 
the others. But the rest were given something to do, 
and when the day was over they had all seen the circus, 
and went to bed happy, to dream of the great trip to 
be taken by the Hut Club on the next Saturday. 


V 


CHAPTER II. 

ARCHIE LONGS FOR A CHANGE IN SURROUNDINGS 

A TRIP TO NEW YORK WITH UNCLE HENRY. 

The Hut Club went out on a picnic the next Satur- 
day, and had a jolly time. They camped upon an 
island in the middle of a shallow stream, and while 
there made coffee and cooked their dinner, having 
brought most of the necessary apparatus from the 
Hut. They fished a little, and hunted for turtles in 
the water, and altogether had a good time, if nothing 
exciting did occur. It was after nine o’clock at night 
when they reached town again, footsore and weary, 
and Archie Dunn had hardly entered the house 
before he was on the dining-room lounge, half-asleep. 
His mother seemed to be out, and as he lay there he 
wondered how long it would be before she came back. 
Archie truly loved his mother, but of late he had 
often thought that he would like to leave home and 
go to the famous city, where he felt sure he could 


22 


A TRIP TO NEW YORK. 23 

get something to do. But he disliked the idea of 
leaving his mother. 

“Fm getting to be a big boy, now,” he often 
said to himself, ^^and it’s time that I began to look 
out for myself. Fm nearly seventeen, and I think 
I ought to be earning some money. This thing of 
belonging to Hut Clubs and spending my time in 
going to picnics and to circuses ought to stop. It’s 
all right for boys, but Fm getting to be a man, 
now.” 

All these thoughts were flying through his mind 
when his mother came in. Oh, Archie,” she ex- 
claimed, ‘H’ve been so worried about you. I’ve just 
been over to Mrs. Sullivan’s to see if Dannie had 
come home, and whether he had seen you. Wherever 
have you been.?” 

We didn’t think it would take so long to walk 
home,” said Archie, jumping up from the sofa, “but 
we were awfully tired, and we didn’t come very fast. 
Fm so sorry you were worried. 

“And Fm as hungry as a bear, mother. Can’t 
you find me something to eat .? ” 

“Yes, dear,” said Mrs. Dunn, softly, “and when 
you’ve finished your supper I have something for 
you. I won’t give it to you now for fear you won’t 


24 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

be able to eat, but as soon as you have finished your 
meal, you shall have it.” 

So Archie was obliged to eat his baked beans and 
brown bread and drink his milk without knowing 
what was in store for him, and he hurried as fast as 
he could, so that he could learn. When he had fin- 
ished he went into the sitting-room, and found his 
mother sitting with a letter spread open upon her 
lap. “ Uncle Henry has written me asking if you 
cannot go with him to New York on Monday, for 
a couple of days. He is obliged to go down there 
on business, and says he will be glad to take you 
along and show you something of the wonderful 
city, for he knows you won’t be any trouble to him. 
Now I hardly know what to say, Archie. If I can 
feel that you are behaving yourself properly, and are 
doing your best to be as little trouble as possible, 
I am willing that you shall go.” 

“Oh, mother,” cried Archie, “I’ll promise any- 
thing. Only let me go this once, and I’ll promise 
to stay at home all the rest of the summer.” 

“All right, then,” said Mrs. Dunn. “You shall 
go on the first train Monday morning, and Uncle 
Henry will join you at Heddens Corner. Run along 
to bed now.^* 


A TRIP TO NEW YORK. 


25 


Archie went up-stairs almost dumb with delight. 
Was it really true that he was to see the great city 
at last ? He had heard some of the boys at school 
telling what their fathers saw there, but he had 
never even hoped that he would see it for himself 
so soon. Of course he had determined to see it all 
some day, but that was to be far in the future. The 
lad could hardly sleep for the joy of it all, and when 
he did finally lose consciousness, it was only to dream 
of streets of gold, and great buildings reaching to the 
skies. 

Sunday passed slowly by. At Sunday school, 
Archie told the boys that he was going to New York 
on the morrow, and from that moment he was the 
hero of the class. The boys looked at him with 
wondering admiration, and seemed scarcely able to 
realise that one of their number was to go so far 
from home. The city was in reality little more than 
a hundred miles, but to their boyish minds this 
distance seemed wonderfully great. 

Early on Monday morning Archie was at the 
depot waiting for the train. His mother was there 
to see him off, and there were tears in her eyes at 
the thought of parting with her only child, if only 
for a day or two. And Archie was radiant with 


26 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

delight at the glorious prospect ahead of him. He 
walked nervously up and down the platform, and 
wished frequently that it were not so early in the 
morning, so that some of the boys might be there to 
see him off. Finally, the great hissing locomotive 
drew up, with its long train of coaches, and Archie 
was soon aboard, hurrying off to Reddens Corner 
and the city. In a few minutes Uncle Henry was 
with him, a tall, fine-looking man, with an air of 
business. Uncle Henry kept the general store at the 
Corner, and was an important person in the neigh- 
bourhood. He was of some importance in the city, 
too, for his name was known in politics, and his 
custom was always desired at the wholesale stores. 
So Archie was going to see the city under good 
auspices, if his uncle would only have time to take 
him about with him. 

After a couple of hours, during which Archie 
kept his face glued to the window-pane, watching 
the flying landscape, the great train pulled through 
a long, dark tunnel, and finally entered an immense 
shed, covered with glass where it came to a final 
stop. Crowds left the coaches, and passed out of 
the station, where they were swallowed up in the 
great rush of traffic. Some drove away in cabs 


A TRIP TO NEW YORK. 


27 


and carriages. Some entered the street-cars, and 
some went up a stairway and entered what seemed 
to Archie a railway train in the air. 

Uncle Henry told Archie to follow him carefully, 
and they, too, were soon flying away from the neigh- 
bourhood of the terminal, past hotels, stores, and 
dwellings, until they finally left the trolley-car, and 
passed through a cross street into a long, quiet 
thoroughfare which looked old enough to have been 
there for a hundred years. The houses were built 
far back from the street, with pillars in front, and 
into one of these quaint old dwellings went Archie 
and his uncle. 

‘‘ I always stop down-town,’* explained Uncle 
Henry, because I am near to the great wholesale 
establishments. It is central to the retail stores, too, 
and to many of the places of interest.” 

When they were settled in their room. Uncle 
Henry explained that he would have to be away 
most of this first day, but that to-morrow he would 
take Archie out and show him the sights. So 
Archie expected to remain indoors all day ; but when 
his uncle had left the house he decided that he 
couldn’t possibly remain in this close room when so 
many wonderful things were taking place outside. 


28 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

So he decided to walk up and down the street, any- 
how, and when he went out he felt like a prisoner 
just escaped from a cell. But the noise was terrible, 
and there were a great many wagons and trucks 
passing through the street. The greatest crowd 
seemed to be on that cross street about two blocks 
away, so Archie decided to go there, and see if there 
was anything new on that street. 

He saw many wonderful things. There were cars 
running along without any apparent motive power, 
there were thousands and thousands of people in the 
streets, and the stores looked so handsome and inter- 
esting that he simply couldn’t resist going into one 
or two of them, just to see what they were like. 
And when he had finished with one or two he could 
think of no reason why he shouldn’t go on up the 
street, where he was sure he would find a great 
many more interesting things to see. So on and on 
he went, until at last he was tired and hungry, and 
then, for the first time, he was a little frightened, 
because he thought of all he had read about people 
losing their way in the city, and not being able to 
find their relatives again. But he was a brave boy, 
so he determined to make an effort to find his way 
back without appealing to a policeman. And after 


A TRIP TO NEW YORK. 


29 


a time he was successful, and entered the queer old 
.house in the ancient street at just three o’clock in 
the afternoon. His uncle was there waiting for him, 
and was nearly beside himself with apprehension. 

“ I was about to send out a general alarm for you, 
at the police station,” he said. How did you happen 
to go away ? ” 

Oh, I was so very tired of staying in the house,” 
said Archie, “and I felt sure that I could find my 
way back without getting lost at all. And to-mor- 
row I am sure I can get along all right. Uncle 
Henry, so you needn’t bother with me at all, unless 
you want to.” 

And it so happened that Mr. Kirk was very busy 
the next day, and would have found it quite impos- 
sible to show Archie about. So it was fortunate 
that he was able to go everywhere alone, or he would 
have had to return home without seeing anything at 
all of the city. 

As it was, he went here, there, and everywhere, 
and saw a great deal of the city, the people, and the 
way in which they lived. The entire place had a 
strange fascination for him, and all the time he was 
thinking how glad he would be to live where he 
could see all this rush of business, this varied life. 


30 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

every day. And he fully determined to return some 
day and get something to do, so that he might work 
himself up, and come to own one of the handsome 
houses on the avenues, or drive one of the elegant 
carriages on the boulevard. And he observed every 
boy who passed him, and talked with several of them, 
trying to find out whether positions were easy to 
secure, and whether they paid much when they were 
secured. 

So when they took the four o’clock train for home, 
and arrived at Archie’s house in time for supper, he 
told more about the city boys and their work than 
about the tall buildings, the Brooklyn Bridge, or the 
Central Park. He talked so much, in fact, about 
the delights of the city boy, and the money he 
earned, that after he had gone to bed Mrs. Dunn 
took her brother aside and talked with him concern- 
ing Archie’s future. And between them they 
definitely decided that Archie must not go to the 
city to work. 


CHAPTER HI. 


ARCHIE DETERMINES TO GO TO THE CITY TO WORK 
LEAVING HOME AT NIGHT. 

Archie Dunn was not more ambitious than many 
other boys of his age, but he possessed one quality 
which is not developed in every boy, determination. 
Once Archie decided upon doing a thing, once he 
had made up his mind that it was truly a good thing 
to do, nothing could keep him from putting his plans 
into action, and making an effort, at least, to accom- 
plish his ends. Most boys of seventeen have not 
decided what they want to become when they are 
men, and, until his visit to the city, Archie was 
equally at sea concerning his future. He knew, of 
course, that he wanted to be rich and famous, but 
when he tried to think up some suitable profession 
which would bring him these possessions, he was 
never able to decide. 

The two days in the city with Uncle Henry had 
31 


32 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

opened to his boyish mind a new world, and when he 
returned to the humble home surrounded by gardens, 
he felt that he would never be satisfied to live and 
work in this small town. There was now no ques- 
tion in his mind but what the city was the place for 
any one who wished to become either rich or famous. 
It would certainly be impossible for him to make a 
name for himself in this village, while in the city he 
would have every opportunity for improving himself, 
and advancing himself in every way. He wondered, 
indeed, that he had never thought of going to New 
York before, and was disgusted with himself when he 
thought of the time he had wasted here at home. 

But there was no use in thinking of the past. The 
thing to do now was to get to the city as quickly as 
possible, for to Archie every day seemed precious, 
and each delay kept him further from the consumma- 
tion of his hopes. It never occurred to the boy that 
his mother might have objections to his leaving 
home. She had always been very ambitious for his 
future, and he supposed that she would be delighted 
at the idea of having her boy in the great city, where 
he would have innumerable chances for improving 
himself. So when they sat on the front porch, one 
evening, and he told her of his plan, he was surprised 


DETERMINES TO GO TO THE CITY. 33 

to hear his mother pleading with him to remain at 
home. Archie,” she said, I am almost sure you 
will come to some bad end in the city. You really 
must not go, for my sake, if for no other reason.” 

“ But, mother, I can’t remain here in town always. 
I must go out into the world some time to earn a 
living and make a place for myself, and I think the 
sooner I go the better, don’t you } ” 

“Yes, Archie, but you’re so young, and you’ve 
had no experience. You have no idea of the things 
there are in great cities to drag young men down. I 
don’t think I could stand it tp have you so far away 
from home and in such danger.” 

“Well, mother,” said Archie, “there isn’t much use 
in arguing about it. I have reached a point where I 
don’t think I can be any longer satisfied at home. 
I have been here seventeen years, and I think I can 
remain here that much longer without improving 
myself. In the city I am sure I can make rapid 
progress, and in a year or two you can come there 
and live with me.” 

Archie got up from the porch and went down the 
street, while poor Mrs. Dunn ran over next door to 
see her neighbour, Mrs. Sullivan. When she had 
entered the disorderly kitchen, and seated herself 


34 'THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

on one of the home-made chairs, the anxious mother 
burst into tears. ‘‘I don’t know what to think of 
Archie, Mrs. Sullivan,” she said. He is determined, 
now, to go to New York, and I know that if he goes 
I will never be able to see him again. I am nigh dis- 
tracted with worrying over it. I have talked with him, 
but he seems determined, and I know I can never 
hold out against his entreaties and arguments.” 

“ Sure, now, Mrs. Dunn,” said the Widow Sullivan, 
‘‘don’t yez be a worryin’ about ’im at all. That 
Archie is a smart boy, he is, and if he goes to New 
York he’ll come out all right, never fear. I only 
wish my Dannie had as much get-up about him as 
your boy.” 

“Yes, yes, Archie is very ambitious for his age,” 
said Mrs. Dunn, “ but I sometimes wish he were less 
so. I know I could keep him at home longer if he 
wasn’t so anxious to be at work. I don’t believe I 
can let him go, Mrs. Sullivan, not yet. I want him 
to stay in school another year, and then I’ll think 
about it.” 

“ Well, ye’re wise, Mrs. Dunn, ye’re a wise 
woman,” said the Widow Sullivan. “Since yer 
husband died ye’ve been a good mother to the 
lad, and have brought ’im up well. And now, how 


DETERMINES TO GO TO THE CITY. 35 

is yer chickens, Mrs. Dunn.? Have ye got that 
cochin hen a ‘ set tin’ ’ yit .? ” 

And the two women began to discuss their various 
fowls, and the conversation was so interesting that 
Mrs. Dunn remained late, and found Archie in bed 
when she went home. ‘‘Ah, well, poor boy. I’ll 
have to tell him of my decision in the morning. 
He’ll be terribly disappointed, and I hate to do it. 
I’m afraid it’s selfishness that makes me want to 
keep him with me. I almost wish he would take 
things into his own hands, and start for the city 
himself. I would be rid then of the responsibility 
of sending him, and the question would be settled 
for me. Boys sometimes know best how to settle 
their own difficulties, anyhow.” 

Mrs. Dunn kneaded the bread before retiring, for 
to-morrow was Saturday, and, therefore, baking- 
day, and then she went into her little room off the 
kitchen, and prayed earnestly for her boy before 
sleeping. She prayed that she might be helped 
in advising him, and that he might always do what 
was best for himself and for his mother. 

The next day was Saturday, and in the morning 
the Hut Club met, as usual, and prepared to have 
an open-air dinner for this day. The furnace, which 


36 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

had been knocked down during the week by the 
East Siders, was rebuilt, and the skillet and other 
utensils were brought from the nearest kitchens. 
Archie went to the grocery around the corner and 
bought five cents’ worth of cakes, and then the six 
boys sat down in a circle and prepared to devour 
their home-made feast. But before they began 
Archie stood up. I want to say that this will 
probably be my farewell dinner with the club,” he 
said, in a low tone, “and I hope that you will 
appoint another president in my place.” 

The boys were horror-struck, but Archie refused 
to explain where and when he was going. Finally, 
they refused to appoint another president, all agree- 
ing that Archie should hold that office for ever, 
wherever he was. And the meal was eaten in si- 
lence, for the announcement had thrown a sort of 
chill over the proceedings. When they had finished, 
Archie silently shook hands with each of the boys, 
who were dumb with amazement, gathered up his 
skillet and coffee-pot, and went home through the 
gate to the chicken-lot. 

“ I wonder what he’s goin’ to do,” they all said, as 
in one breath, and as there was seldom much fun in 
the club when Archie was absent, they all went home 


LEAVING HOME AT NIGHT 37 

in a few minutes, or down-town to watch the farmeis, 
who were in town to do their weekly buying. 

When Archie reached home he went up-stairs to 
his little room, and began to lay out a few things 
which he wanted to take with him, for he had deter- 
mined to start for New York this very night. Then 
he tied the things up in a small bundle, and sat down 
to write a note to his mother. When he had finished 
it, he pinned it up at the head of his cot, and this 
is what it said : 

“ My Darling Mother : — Please don’t worry about me. 
I’m bound to come through all right, and if anything happens 
to me, I promise that I will write to you immediately and let 
you know. I have the ten dollars which I have saved, and if 
I don’t get work at once I will write to you for some more. 
Now, I am not doing this thing for the sake of adventure, but 
because I am sure it is the best thing for me, and I don’t want 
you to worry at all. I shall write to you often and let you 
know just what I’m doing, so don’t worry, but be a brave 
mother. I’m not going off this way as a sneak, but because 
I want to avoid a ‘ scene.’ Your loving 

“ Archie.” 

And at three o’clock the next morning Archie 
Dunn got out of bed, shouldered his bundle, and 
started off for the great city, which seemed to be 
drawing him like a magnet. 


CHAPTER IV. 


WORKING ON A FARM TO EARN SOME MONEY CRUEL 

TREATMENT. 

When daylight came, Archie was far out of the 
town walking quickly along the southern road. He 
figured that he had walked nearly six miles in the 
two hours since he had let himself out of the back 
door at home, and, as he looked ahead, he planned 
that he would walk at least thirty miles every day. 
Of course, he had never done much walking before, 
or he would have known better than to have ex- 
pected to accomplish so much in twelve hours, but 
he felt fresh and full of strength this morning, and 
nothing seemed too hard to accomplish. As yet he 
had not regretted his departure from home»- The 
excitement of it all, and the adventurous side of his 
exploit, had kept him interested, and made him feel 
that he was a real hero. But he was not so foolish 
as to imagine that there would not be times when he 
38 


WORKING ON A FARM. 


39 


would regret having set out for New York. He was 
too old and too sensible for his age to allow his 
ambition to run away with him entirely, and he fully 
expected to meet with many great discouragements. 

But Tm sure of one thing,” he said to himself, as 
he walked along, never will return home until I 
have something to show for the trip, I won’t have 
the club boys and the neighbours saying that Archie 
Dunn had to come home discouraged. If I return 
without accomplishing anything, I will be held up to 
the whole town as a boy who made a fool of himself 
by not taking his friends’ advice, and I never will be 
made an example of if I can help it.” And Archie 
walked faster as he thought of the possibility of 
failure. 

When seven o’clock came he was passing through 
the county-seat, but though there were many inter- 
esting things to look at in the town, Archie deter- 
mined not to stop. He was afraid he might meet 
some one he knew, who would be sure to ask him 
where he was going with his bundle, and what he 
was doing out so early. And anyhow he was very 
hungry, and decided to get out of the town and to 
the farmhouses as soon as possible. ‘‘I can work 
for my meal at a farmhouse,” he said to himself. 


40 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

“but in the town they’ll take me for a regular 
tramp.” 

So poor Archie walked quickly through the town, 
still keeping to the southern road, and saying to him- 
self, as he passed every milestone, “So much nearer 
New York.” About a mile out in the country he 
came to a large farmhouse, and he determined to 
enter and ask for a meal. He had hard work 
to muster up enough courage to go in and ask for 
anything, but finally he knocked timidly at the 
kitchen door, and was frightened by a large dog 
which came barking around the corner. It seemed 
to him that the animal would surely bite, but a 
large fat woman opened the door just in time to 
let him in. “ Hurry in, boy,” she said, “ fer there’s 
no tollin’ what Tige might do ef he once gets a hold 
of ye.” So Archie stepped into the large kitchen, 
with its rafters overhead, and its dining-table in the 
corner. “Sit down, boy,” said the woman. “I 
reckon you’s thet new lad thet’s come ter work 
over at Mullins’s, ain’t ye ? ” 

“ No’m,” said Archie, “ I don’t work anywhere. 
I’m on my way to New York, where I expect to find a 
position, and I thought perhaps you’d allow me to do 
a little work here this morning to earn my breakfast.” 


WORKING ON A FARM. 


41 


Good Mrs. Lane, for that was the woman’s name, 
was horrified to think that any one was alive and 
without breakfast at eight o’clock in the morning. 
<< Goodness me ! ” said she. Why, you must be half- 
famished fer want of food, ain’t ye .«* ” And she 
bustled about the kitchen, putting the kettle on to 
boil, and stirring up the fire. “ You’ll have some 
nice ham and eggs, my boy, and then I have some- 
thin’ in mind fer you. I reckon yer ain’t in no hurry 
ter get ter the city, be ye } Well, even if ye do 
be in a hurry, I reckon you’ll be glad of the chance 
to earn four dollars. I ain’t goin’ to ask ye no 
questions about how ye come to be walkin’ to New 
York, because I never wuz no hand ter meddle in 
other folkses affairs, but ye look to be a likely lad, 
and a strong un, and ez my sister’s husband, what 
lives two miles down the pike, needs a boy to drive a 
plough fer a week, I b’lieve ye’ll suit ’im first-rate. 
So ez soon ez ye have finished yer vittles. I’ll walk 
down there with ye, and we’ll see the old man.” 

Archie hardly knew whether to be delighted with 
the prospect or not. Of course four dollars would 
be nice to have, but he was anxious to get to the 
city as soon as possible, and every day counted. 
But perhaps it would be wrong, he thought, to 


42 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

throw away such a good chance to earn some money, 
and he had decided to accept any offer the farmer 
made him, long before he finished his breakfast. 
When he got up from the straight-backed chair, he 
felt that he had never eaten a better meal in his life, 
and when Mrs. Lane started off down the road, he 
gladly followed her. A week on such a farm as this 
would be no unpleasant experience. Such food was 
not to be had every day, he knew, and he of course 
would have precious little that was good to eat when 
he reached the city. 

They soon covered the two miles, Mrs. Lane get- 
ting along very fast for such a large woman, and at 
last they stood before Hiram Tinch, who owned the 
farm. Archie was made to describe his intentions, 
and was thoroughly examined by Mr. Tinch. He 
told the farmer that he knew nothing about farm 
work, but Mr. Tinch said he would soon teach him, 
and it was settled that Archie was to remain on the 
farm a week. Mrs. Lane went inside the house to 
see her sister, who looked sick with too much work, 
and the farmer told Archie that he might as well 
start in, as there was no object in waiting. So the 
boy donned a pair of “blue jean” trousers, and was 
taken into a field, where a one-horse plough was 


CRUEL TREATMENT. 


43 


Standing. Archie knew how to hitch a horse, so he 
went to the stable and secured his steed, and then 
harnessed him to the plough. The farmer didn’t see 
fit to give him any instructions about ploughing, and 
the poor boy hardly knew what to do, but rather 
than ask he started off, and tried to guide the animal 
in the right direction, as far as he knew it. Of 
course the horse went wrong, and the plough refused 
to stay in the earth, and altogether the attempt was 
a miserable failure. The farmer leaned against the 
fence, picking his teeth with a pin, but when he saw 
the horse going crooked, and the plough bounding 
along over the earth, his face grew livid with anger. 
For a minute he seemed unable to speak, but strode 
toward Archie with a fierce look in his eyes. Then 
he found his tongue, and opened such a tirade of vile 
words that the poor boy shrank from him in terror. 
He was in mortal fear lest the man should lay hands 
on him and commit some crime, so intense was his 
rage, but Hiram Tinch seemed to know how far to 
go, and after five minutes of cursing and swearing 
he took the plough in his own hands, and guided 
it through the earth. Now take it,” he growled 
at Archie, when he had gone a furrow’s length, 
<<and see ef ye can do better this time. Remember, 


44 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

not a bite of dinner do ye get until this field is 
ploughed.” 

Poor Archie was weak from fright, but there was 
nothing to do but to obey. He looked at the vast 
field before him, and made up his mind that he would 
get nothing to eat until night, anyhow, for it was 
already nearly noon. - He felt very much like burst- 
ing into tears, but he was too proud to give way to 
his feelings. But he couldn’t help wishing that he 
were at home, playing with the members of the Hut 
Club. Those boys are much better off than I am,” 
he said, over and over, though they have made no 
effort to improve themselves.” After a time, how- 
ever, his ambition returned, and as he looked ahead 
into the future, and remembered the wonderful things 
he was going to accomplish, he felt more like work- 
ing. 

He finished the field at five o’clock in the after- 
noon, and was almost fainting from hunger and from 
the hard work. The ploughing was fairly well done, 
but Hiram Tinch could see no merit in the work. 
He swore at Archie again, and gave him a supper of 
mush and milk. Mrs. Tinch sat by, and Archie 
could see that she did not approve of his treatment. 
The poor woman seemed afraid to speak, almost, but it 


CRUEL TREATMENT. 


45 


was plain that she had a good heart. So when Archie 
heard a noise in his garret room that night, he was 
not surprised to see Mrs. Tinch at the window, plac- 
ing some doughnuts and sandwiches there for him 
to eat. 


CHAPTER V. 


THE NIGHT AMONG THE RUINS THE CAMP - FIRE OF 

THE TRAMPS. 

It seemed to Archie that he had just fallen asleep 
when old Hiram Tinch was shaking him awake. 
“ Git up out o’ here now, ye lazy beggar, and^it to 
the field and finish that there ploughin’,” he growled, 
and the frightened lad awakened from a horrible night- 
mare, only to find a worse experience awaiting him 
in the light of day. He hastily drew on his trousers, 
and didn’t wait to don either shoes or stockings, for 
if he was to spend the day ploughing in a field, he 
knew he would be more comfortable in his bare feet. 
When he reached the kitchen, he found that Farmet 
Tinch had already eaten his breakfast, though it was 
not daylight. Archie was glad that he was out of 
the way, and good Mrs. Tinch was glad of it, too, 
for she was able to give the boy a good breakfast, 
and some good advice with it. Don’t you pay no 
46 


THE NIGHT AMONG THE RUINS. 47 

attention to what my man says, laddie. He’s a 
powerful man to swear and carry on, but I don’t 
think he’ll have the meanness to strike you. Ef he 
does, ye must come to me, and I’ll see thet he 
doesn’t do it no more.” 

Archie was grateful for this spirit of friendliness, 
but in his heart he thought that cruel words were 
often more painful than lashes, and he heartily 
wished that his week was over. 

All this day he spent on the farm, without once 
going into the road. Farmer Tinch had warned him 
that if he saw him making for the road at any time, 
he could go and never come back, and he would for- 
feit what money he had already earned. So Archie 
ploughed the field from daylight till dark, with a half 
hour at noon for a hurried dinner. He was glad 
when darkness came, and after another supper of 
mush and milk he was thankful to have a corn-husk 
bed to sleep on, and was soon in a stupor which was 
so sound as to be almost like death. 

Again the next morning he was awakened at day- 
light, and he was made to work even harder than on 
the second day. He had by this time become some- 
what used to the labour, however, and stood it better. 
He was more successful in his work, too, and Farmer 


48 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

Tinch had less opportunity for cursing him. But at 
night he seemed more tired, even, than before, and 
he longed for his home again. He thought of the 
cosy bed he would now be enjoying if he had only 
taken his mother’s advice, and he felt almost like 
getting up in the night and stealing away on the road 
to the north. But, always a sensible lad, Archie 
realised that this discouragement could not last, and 
he lost himself in sleep, looking forward three days, 
when his week should be up, and he would be on his 
way to the city, with four dollars more to add to 
his slender store. 

The three days passed slowly, but at length the 
Saturday night came, and he prepared to be off. 
But good Mrs. Tinch entreated him to remain with 
them over Sunday, and, as Archie wasn’t sure that it 
would be quite right for him to travel on Sunday, he 
decided to do so. So the next day he brushed his 
only suit of clothes, and drove with his late employer 
to church, where Farmer Tinch sat in a front seat 
and passed the bread and wine at communion. 
Archie’s heart rose to his throat as he saw this para- 
gon so devout in church. He felt like rising in his 
seat and denouncing him before all the people as a 
tyrant and a hard-hearted wretch. But he kept 


THE NIGHT AMONG THE RUINS. 49 

quiet, though he found it impossible to partake of 
the communion under such circumstances. 

The Tinches had brought their dinner with them, 
and at noon they all sat on one of the grassy mounds 
in the churchyard, to take some refreshment before 
the afternoon service began. When they had 
finished, Archie wandered off, and came to a crowd 
of boys who were romping behind the church. 
When they saw him approach, they all stopped their 
noise, and looked at him wonderingly. Evidently 
they were not used to seeing strange boys. The 
silence was soon broken, however, by one of the boys 
calling out, “Why, fellers, thet’s the chap what’s 
been workin’ fer Hiram Tinch.” This announcement 
was enough to make Archie an even greater object 
of interest than before, for the boys seemed to think 
that any person who could work for Farmer Tinch, 
and come out of the ordeal none the worse for 
wear, must be something wonderful. Archie was 
soon on good terms with them all, however, and 
told them of his plan of going to New York. The 
boys were all attention, and soon he was the hero 
of the occasion. When the bell rung for the after- 
noon service he was still telling them of the things 
he was going to do, and none of them wanted to 


50 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

go into the church. Archie persuaded them to 
enter, however, but he was not surprised to meet 
them all along the road when he left Tinch’s early 
Monday morning. 

It was almost time to go to bed when they reached 
the farmhouse that night, so Archie went at once to 
his attic, being anxious to start fresh on his journey 
the next day. He was now determined to push on 
as rapidly as possible, hoping to reach the city within 
three or four days. He was somewhat afraid that he 
wouldn’t be able to do this, but he was going to try, 
anyhow. 

At daylight Monday morning he was on the way, 
and when the various boys he met the day before 
said good-bye to him and wished him good luck, he 
felt that his stay at Tinch’s had not been without 
benefits of some sort. He had made some boy 
friends, and he was four dollars richer. Archie was 
sensible enough, too, to realise that his experience 
would be a valuable one to him in the future. He 
knew now what hard work was, at any rate. 

The morning walk was delightful. The Septem- 
ber weather was perfect, and all along the road were 
fruit-trees laden with every sort of good thing to eat 
a boy could wish for. And as the trees were on the 


THE NIGHT AMONG THE RUINS. 5 1 

public thoroughfare, Archie did not hesitate to help 
himself freely as he went along, so that he didn’t 
require any meal at noon. 

As night drew near, however, he began to wonder 
what he would do for a bed, and the question became 
more important with every hour. He had come to 
no towns since morning, and knew that he couldn’t 
expect to reach one of any size until the next day, 
anyhow. There were farmhouses, of course, but 
after his experience of the past week the lad felt 
that he would rather remain outdoors all night than 
risk being thrown in with another Hiram Tinch. 
He didn’t know enough of farmers to know that few 
of them resemble Mr. Tinch in nature, and he did 
what he thought was best in keeping away from 
farmhouses after this. 

It was five o’clock in the evening, and Archie was 
beginning to feel very tired and hungry, when he 
came to the ruins of an old colonial mansion, which 
lay far back from the road, surrounded by trees, and 
almost hid with shrubbery. <‘How interesting,” he 
thought to himself. looks just like the pictures 
of old ruins we see in geographies. I think I must 
go up and see what they look like at close range.” 
And, fired with a spirit of adventure, and making 


52 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

believe that he was an explorer in an ancient country, 
the boy made his way through the trees and shrub- 
bery. The ruins looked more and more interesting 
as he advanced. This had evidently been a magnifi- 
cent estate at one time. There were massive pillars 
which had once supported a stately portico at the 
front of the house, and above all there rose a massive 
chimney, which seemed to be exceedingly well pre- 
served. As Archie came nearer, he was surprised 
to notice a thin column of smoke rising from 
the top of the chimney, and for a moment he stood 
still with fright. What could this mean Who 
could be building a fire in the midst of these ruins. 
It was almost like what one reads about in books, 
he thought. 

For some time he could not decide what to do, 
whether he had better keep on, or whether the 
wisest policy would be to get back to the road as 
quickly as possible. Finally, his curiosity and thirst 
for adventure persuaded him to go on, and he con- 
tinued to push his way through the shrubbery until 
he stood before the ruins. He then climbed a flight 
of steps, and stood in what had once been the main 
entrance to this massive palace. Before him he saw 
a scene which was almost weird in its unusualness. 


THE CAMP-FIRE OF THE TRAMPS. 


53 


A fire of pine-knots was blazing in the ruins of the 
great fireplace, and seated in a semicircle around 
the fire were several men of picturesque appearance, 
whose faces looked up angrily when they were dis- 
turbed. 


CHAPTER VI. 


STEALING A RIDE KICKED OUT BY THE BRAKEMAN. 

Archie was dumbfounded. Never before had he 
been among such a motley crowd, and his first im- 
pulse was to turn and run. But on second thought 
he decided that it would be best to put on a bold 
face and walk up to the men. This he did, and 
when he reached the fire the men jumped up and 
asked him who he was. In a few words he told 
them his simple story, and they all laughed and sat 
down again about the fire, making a place for him. 
‘‘ You’re one of us, then, laddie,” said the leader of 
the gang. We’re all soldiers of fortune, all de- 
pendent upon the generous public for our livelihood. 
But we’re not goin’ to the city. There’s nothin’ 
there for us, and our advice to you is for you to 
steer clear of the place, too. Them police takes ye 
and throws ye into jail as quick as a wink, and there’s 
no chance of gettin’ anythink to eat at basement 


54 


STEALING A RIDE, 57 

doors, neither. They’re all on to us, there, laddie, 
and ye’d better stick to the country.” 

This bit of advice was endorsed by the entire 
company, and it was in vain that Archie tried to 
make them understand that he was no ordinary 
tramp, walking about the country in search of an 
easy time. He tried to tell them that he was going 
to the city to work, not to beg; but the leader, a 
big, dirty fellow, weighing two hundred pounds or 
over, said, ‘‘ Never mind, laddie, we knows you’ve 
run away from home to get away from the folks, 
and we appreciates yer position. If yer a mind to 
stand by us, we’ll stand by you, and see thet ye 
comes to no harm.” 

On thinking things over, Archie decided that it 
was perhaps the wisest thing for him to appear to 
sympathise with the tramps, and make himself agree- 
able while with them. He had undoubtedly run 
‘into a gang of the worst sort of vagabonds, and 
there was no way of getting away from them with- 
out arousing their suspicions. So he partook of 
their slender meal, and joined in the general laughter 
when the leader, “Fattie Foy,” made some crude 
attempt at punning. The meal was one to be remem- 
bered. The coffee had been heated in an empty 


58 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

tomato can over the fire, and from its taste was 
evidently a combination of various collections made 
from the farmhouses round about. Besides the coffee 
there was a various collection of sandwiches and 
bread and butter, and two pieces of cake. One man 
had succeeded in striking a good house, and came 
back laden with pickles and crackers and cheese, 
which were probably the remains of some picnic 
basket. Another fellow had brought some pieces 
of cold bacon, and these were warmed on sticks over 
the fire until they looked really appetising. From 
some barn had come a half-dozen fresh eggs, and 
these were quickly boiled in a can of hot water, and 
made a very fair showing on the slab of granite 
which served as a table. 

When everything was ready the provisions were 
equally divided among the crowd, and every one 
shared alike. It made no difference how much more 
one man collected than another, it was always 
shared with the entire crowd. Poor Archie found 
it almost impossible to eat, but the men insisted 
that he take something, so he did manage to swal- 
low a few sips of coffee and eat a slice of bread 
and butter. But as he looked about him at the 
dirty hands and faces, and the filthy garments of the 


STEALING A RIDE. 59 

tramps, he determined not to eat again while with 
them. 

When the meal was over the two tin cans were 
washed at a spring of water, and as it was now quite 
dark, they all sat close to the fire, in order to see. 
Some one produced a pack of dirty cards, and they 
began a game of some kind. Archie was asked to 
join, but he told them he didn’t know anything about 
card-playing. The poor lad was beginning to wish 
he had never left home, and felt more miserable 
than at any other period of the journey. He walked 
over to a corner of the ruins where the light from 
the fire did not penetrate, and, once there, he sat 
down and sobbed bitterly for a time. When he had 
finished crying it seemed impossible for him to 
sleep. The scene about the fire fascinated him. 
The men were seated in every sort of picturesque 
attitude, and as the flickering light fell upon their 
dark faces it wasn’t hard for the poor lad to 
imagine that he had fallen among a crowd of brig- 
ands. He watched them as they played until he 
could see no longer, and then he fell into a sound 
sleep. 

When Archie woke it was still dark, but the moon 
was shining brightly overhead, making everything as 


6o THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

light as day. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, and it 
was some time before he could realise where he was. 
Then, as he saw the tramps lying about the ground, 
he remembered his adventures of the night before, 
and, horrified that he had allowed himself to sleep, 
he hastily jumped up, and determined to get away 
from the ruins as quickly as possible. The tramps 
were all sleeping soundly, and the only noises to be 
heard were the sound of their breathing and the 
blood-curdling hoot of some owl perched on the pil- 
lars of the old portico. The boy picked his way 
carefully between the bodies of the sleeping men, 
and in a minute stood once more on the grand flight 
of steps outside. He was trembling for fear some 
tramp would awake and prevent his going, and when 
a bat brushed him in its flight he almost screamed 
with terror. Far out beyond the trees and the shrub- 
bery he could see the road glistening in the moon- 
light, and he made his way as rapidly as possible 'out 
of the grounds, and was once more on his way to 
the city. 

It was lonesome work, walking along a country 
road at night, and Archie remembered with long- 
ing his cosy bed at home. The feeling of home- 
sickness kept growing within him, despite his efforts 


STEALING A RIDE. 


6l 


to down it, and when at last the glorious autumn 
sun rose over the eastern horizon he was miserable 
with longing for mother and for home. But he 
was too proud to even think of turning back. He 
must reach the city at all hazards, homesick or 
not. 

Archie did not think of breakfast this morning. 
His experience of the night before seemed to have 
taken away his appetite entirely, and his only thought 
was to walk as fast as possible, so that he could reach 
the city soon. About nine o’clock he entered the 
outskirts of a busy town, and while there he observed 
that the railroad going to the city passed through the 
place. All at once a new idea occurred to him. He 
had so often heard men and boys tell of how they 
had stolen a ride from one town to another. Why 
shouldn’t he be able to get a ride on a freight train 
to the city. Would it be wrong } Archie thought 
not, since so many men did it. And anyhow it didn’t 
seem a wicked thing to cheat the railroad. He had 
heard people say that the company ought to be 
cheated whenever possible, since it cheated so many 
others. So, from being so tired and so anxious to 
reach New York, Archie decided to try and steal 
a ride. He entered the yards, where a train was 


62 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER, 

being made up for the south, and there he saw a 
cattle-car with an open door. He immediately jumped 
inside and shut the door, squeezing himself into the 
farthest corner, hoping that he wouldn’t be discov- 
ered. He soon found that he wasn’t alone, for a 
couple of tramps were in the opposite corner, and 
they whispered to bim not to make any noise. “ The 
brakie,” they said, “will soon be ’round, and if he 
finds ye he’ll put us all in jail.” 

Poor Archie grew pale at the thought of being put 
in jail, and huddled himself closer in the corner. 
After a time the train started, and the tramps, he 
noticed, climbed up into some sort of compartment 
under the roof of the car, where they wouldn’t be 
observed, leaving Archie alone down-stairs. Things 
went smoothly for a time. The train went flying 
along, and Archie counted every mile which brought 
him nearer to the city. Finally the train pulled up 
at a crossing, and a brakeman came along and threw 
open the door of the car. He was not long in dis- 
covering the cowering figure in the corner, and his 
wrath was dreadful to look upon. “ So, ye cussed 
vagabond,” he growled, “ye thought ye’d steal a 
ride, did ye ? Get out o’ this now. Quick, out with 
ye.” Archie could have fainted, and, as it was, he 


KICKED OUT BY THE BRAKEMAN. 63 


almost fell out of the car, propelled by the brakeman’s 
boot. For awhile he stood dazed beside the track, 
and finally moved on. “ Fll keep a ‘ stiff upper lip,’ ” 
he said, “ whatever happens.” But this was by far the 
most discouraging adventure yet. 


CHAPTER VII. 


ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK A NIGHT IN A 

LODGING - HOUSE. 

On and on for the rest of the day walked Archie. 
His feet were sore, he was weak from hunger, and 
he was made miserable with being homesick. People 
who met him on the road turned around to look at 
the slender lad with the pale face and the weary 
step, but he kept walking on, stopping for nothing, 
and noticing no one. At noon he picked some apples 
in an orchard, and these appeased his hunger. When 
evening drew near, however, he felt that he could go 
without food no longer, so he didn’t hesitate to stop 
at a house and ask for food. “ I know mother would 
give a boy food if one should come to our door,” he 
said to himself, ‘‘so I do not think it wrong for me 
to ask for food here.” He was fortunate enough to 
strike a pleasant housewife, who took him in and 
made him sit down at the kitchen table, which she 
64 


ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK. 


65 


covered with good things to eat. There was cold 
roast beef, some fried potatoes, and a glass of good 
fresh milk. And then she gave him some apple pie, 
so that when he had finished Archie felt better than 
for many a day. While he ate he told the good 
woman why he was going to New York, and her sym- 
pathy was enlisted at once. '' Why, you poor lad,” 
she exclaiipied, ‘‘just to think of your being in the 
city all alone. And what will your mother think } ” 
Archie couldn’t imagine what his mother did think. 
He had remembered her every minute during the last 
few days, and was anxious to write her, so he decided 
to ask the woman for some paper and a pencil. These 
were gladly given him, and he sat down and told his 
mother that he was almost to New York and that he 
had been having a splendid time. He was careful 
not to say anything about his experience with Farmer 
Tinch, or the night he spent with the tramps. He 
knew these things would only make her unhappy, and 
it was just as well that she should think everything 
was smooth sailing for him. His letter was filled 
with his enthusiasm and his hope for the morrow, so 
that when good Mrs. Dunn received it she was over- 
joyed, and hurried over to show it to the Widow Sul- 
livan, who enjoyed it thoroughly and said “I told you 


66 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

SO.” Poor Mrs. Dunn had been having a very mis- 
erable time of it. She was hardly surprised that 
morning when she awoke and found Archie gone, but 
she was naturally much worried for fear some accident 
would happen to him before he reached New York. 
Once there, she felt that she needn’t worry much 
about him, for, strange to say, Mrs. Dunn had a firm 
belief in the ability of city policemen to take care of 
every one, and she knew that Archie would not be 
allowed to suffer for want of food and a place to sleep. 
And when she received this letter, saying that Archie 
was nearly to New York, and had even been so success- 
ful as to earn some money, she felt more comfortable 
than for some time. Of course she supposed that he 
would be home before long. She was positive that 
he wouldn’t be able to get any work in the city, and 
knew that as soon as his money gave out he would 
return. ‘‘ It’s all for the best,” she said to Mrs. Sul- 
livan. The habit of running away from home was 
born in the boy. His father left home when he was 
no older than Archie, and no harm ever came to him. 
So I’m not going to worry, Mrs. Sullivan.” And then 
Mrs. Dunn would go back to her home, and at sight 
of Archie’s old hat or some of his football parapher- 
nalia, would burst into tears. 


ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK. 


67 


The good woman who gave Archie his supper 
refused to let him start out again on the road that 
night. She told him that he must remain with them, 
for they had an extra bed up over the kitchen which 
was never needed, and that he might just as well 
sleep there as not. So for the first time in nearly a 
week Archie slept comfortably, and, as he heard the 
familiar sounds in the kitchen below him in the 
morning, it was hard for him to make up his mind 
that he was not at home, and that it was not his 
mother who was grinding the coffee in the kitchen 
below. He heard the ham frying in the skillet, and 
the rattle of the dishes as his hostess set the table, 
and then he dressed himself and hastened down- 
stairs, feeling ready for a good day’s walking. 

When he had eaten his breakfast he started out 
again. The woman told him ^that it was only about 
fifteen miles to New Yorky'and that after he had 
walked about six of them he could take a trolley-car 
and ride the remainder of the distance for five 
cents. So he thanked her for her kindness, and 
promised to let her know how he succeeded in the 
city, for the woman was much interested in his 
future. He felt almost sorry to leave the home- 
like place, but the prospect of reaching the city 


68 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

this very day was enough to make him anxious to 
be off. He covered the six miles to the trolley-car 
before eleven o’clock in the morning, and then in 
an hour and a quarter more the trolley landed him 
in lower New York. 

His sensations as he was whirled along the smooth 
pavements, past beautiful buildings and handsome 
residences, may be better imagined than described. 
After looking forward to this day for so long, he 
was almost overcome at the realisation of his hopes, 
and took the utmost delight in everything about him. 
When the car stopped at the terminus of the line, he 
got out and walked up the busiest street in the 
neighbourhood. He hardly knew what to do first, 
but continued walking until he came to the New 
York end of the great Brooklyn Bridge. Then he 
couldn’t resist the desire to walk across the bridge, 
and he started out upon the journey. Up the steps 
he walked, and soon he had climbed as far as the 
middle of the magnificent structure. There he 
stood for some time, looking out over Governor’s 
Island, nestled like a green egg in a nest of red 
buildings, and past Staten Island to the open sea 
beyond. It was all grander, more beautiful than 
anything he had ever seen before, and he felt glad 


ARRIVAL IN' NEW YORK, 69 

that he had come. Then in another direction he 
saw the never-ending succession of buildings, some 
tall, some low ones, but all inhabited with swarms of 
people. ‘‘There are three million people in this 
great city,” he said to himself, “and over there 
in New Jersey, in those cities I see, there are a 
million more, and I am one of four million.” The 
thought was too much for the boy, and he continued 
his walk across the bridge. Once across, he came 
back again, for Brooklyn was a strange place to him. 
In New York City he felt more at home, for he had 
at least spent two days within its limits. 

Once back in the busy streets, he decided to look 
about for a cheap place to stay for the night. It was 
the middle of the afternoon now, and he felt that he 
ought to make some preparation. He knew better than 
to apply at the police station for lodging, for he knew 
they would probably turn him over to the famous Gerry 
Society, which would send him back home before a day 
had passed, and then where would his ambitions be ? 

He remembered the place where he had stayed 
with Uncle Henry, but he knew that this would be 
too high-priced for his pocketbook, so he started up 
the Bowery, where he expected to find some very 
cheap places. He didn’t like the looks of the people 


70 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

he met in the street, but his experiences on the way 
to New York had taught him not to be too particular 
about a little dirt. So when he came to a rickety 
building with a sign up, Beds, ten and fifteen 
cents,” he immediately went up the dark, filthy 
stairway, and found himself in a large room at the 
top which served as the hotel ” office. There 
were rows of chairs in front of the windows and 
along the walls, and in the chairs were the queerest- 
looking lot of men he had ever seen. He didn’t pay 
any attention to them, though, but went up to the 
seedy individual behind the desk, and asked him if 
he could get a bed for the night. Sure, Mike,” 
the man replied, and Archie signed his name in a 
dirty book with torn pages. He paid the man ten 
cents, and asked if he could leave his bundle 
while he went outside. “ Sure, Mike,” was again 
his answer, and the man took his little bundle of 
necessities and threw them on the floor behind the 
counter. When Archie had gone out, a fat man with 
a baby face came up and whispered to the clerk. 

Anything in the bloke } ” he inquired. Nit,” said 
the clerk, don’t yer see his baggage ? Does it look 
like there’s anything in it ? ” And the mysterious con- 
versation closed, to be continued later in the evening. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

LOOKING FOR WORK WASHING DISHES IN A 

BOWERY RESTAURANT. 

After a couple of hours spent in going about the 
streets, Archie went into a place where he bought 
some coffee and rolls for his supper. He paid only 
five cents for three sweet rolls and a large cup of 
coffee which was not at all bad to taste, and he 
returned to the lodging-house on the Bowery feeling 
better than he had expected to feel when he started 
out from the homestead where he spent the previous 
night. If he could get a good meal for five or ten 
cents, and could sleep for ten cents more, he would 
have enough to keep him going for some time. 

The Bowery at night presented a wonderful appear- 
ance to Archie’s mind. The brilliantly lighted shops, 
the cheap theatres with their bands of musicians on 
the sidewalk in front of the entrance, were all attract- 
ive to his boyish eyes, but he was wise enough to 


71 


72 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER, 

pass them all by, and to make his way as quickly as 
possible to the cheap lodging-house. The street was 
jammed with persons of every description. He was 
surprised particularly at the number of Chinamen he 
met, for he didn’t know that a block or two away was 
the centre of the Chinese population of New York, 
where the Celestials have their theatre, their hotels, 
their great stores, and their joss-house. There were 
many Italians in the street, too, and Polish Jews, to 
say nothing of Frenchmen and Germans. Then 
there was the typical Bowery “tough,” who swag- 
gered up and down, looking for trouble, which he 
usually finds before an evening passes. Archie was 
not afraid in this cosmopolitan crowd. No one seemed 
to notice him, and, anyhow, there were a great many 
policemen about, who seemed to keep a sharp look- 
out all the time. And as Archie shared his mother’s 
faith in the city policeman, he felt no fear. 

In the lodging-house everything looked very much 
as before. The chairs were still occupied with filthy- 
looking men, who smoked and spat and talked in 
undertones among themselves. The boy paid no 
attention to any of them, but, walking up to the 
seedy individual behind the counter, asked him if he 
could go to bed now. The man answered, “ Cer- 


LOOKING FOR WORK. 


73 

tainly,” and sent a fellow with Archie to show him 
his bed. It was in a long, narrow room, which was 
poorly lighted with a few gas-jets here and there, and 
which was filled with about thirty beds, all narrow, 
and all dirty. One of these was pointed out to 
Archie, and then the man left him. The poor lad 
felt more homesick than ever, and had it not been 
that he had a glorious to-morrow to look forward to, 
he would have been very miserable indeed. As it 
was, he undressed and got between the chilly sheets, 
when he remembered that he hadn’t looked after his 
little roll of bills for a long time, and that some of 
them might be missing. He crawled out of bed 
again, and felt inside the lining of his coat for the 
purse. He had sewed it there for safe-keeping until 
he reached the city, for he had some little change in 
his pocket, which he knew would last him for several 
days. 

The poor boy’s hand felt nothing but a cut in the 
lining, where the roll of bills had been, and all at once 
he realised that the money must have been stolen 
from him. And he at once thought of the night in 
the ruins, when he fell asleep among the tramps, and 
there was no doubt in his mind but that they had 
taken his money from him. This was a terrible blow. 


74 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

Here he was, with just a few cents in his pocket, and 
no one to whom he could appeal for aid. It was the 
worst predicament Archie had ever been in, and he 
hardly knew what to do. He sat on the side of his 
dirty little bed for awhile, and then he snuggled 
under the covers and was soon asleep again. For a 
boy who has been walking all day seldom stays awake 
from worry. 

But when he awoke in the morning, it was to 
realise the fact that he must get some money this 
very day or go to the police station. The few cents 
he had remaining were only enough to buy some 
coffee and bread for breakfast, and the poor lad 
didn’t know where his next meal would come from. 
As he went out, the clerk in the filthy office of the 
lodging-house told him that he needn’t come back any 
more. 

'' Why did you tell him that } ” asked the fat man 
with a sly face. 

“ Because I went through his clothes last night 
when he was asleep, and he had only six cents in his 
pocket. We don’t want no starvin’ brats around 
here, to bring the Gerry Society down upon us.” 

It was well that Archie didn’t know his pockets 
had been searched while he was asleep, or his faith 


LOOKING FOR WORK 75 

in human nature would have been more shaken than 
ever before. He had not suspected that the men in 
this lodging-house might be dishonest. 

They are poor,” he said to himself when he saw 
them first, “but they may be good men for all that.” 

After a slender meal, Archie found a library where 
he looked over the advertising columns of the morning 
papers, trying to find some position open which he 
thought he might fill. There were several advertise- 
ments calling for office boys, and all these he made 
note of, and then as he looked down the page he 
noticed that a boy was wanted in a restaurant to wash 
dishes. He decided that if he didn’t succeed in get 
ting a place as office boy, he might get the restaurant 
place. He knew that in a restaurant he would be 
likely at least to get enough to eat. 

For two hours he called at addresses of men who 
wanted office boys, but at every place he was turned 
away. “ We have already hired one,” some of them 
said, and others told him that they never took any 
boys in the office who were living away from home. 
Some asked him for recommendations, and when he 
had none, they looked at him and told him “good 
morning.” It was all terribly discouraging, and with 
every minute Archie was wishing more and more that 


76 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

he were back home again. Somehow the city seemed 
different now from what it had been when Uncle 
Henry was with him. Everything was less bright, 
and the things he had been delighted with before 
were less interesting now. 

Finally, he entered a large, handsome suite of 
rooms, in one of the great sky-scrapers, and was 
shown into a very elegant private office. There he 
found an old gentleman seated in a great easy chair, 
looking over papers, and keeping one eye upon a 
buzzing instrument at his side which seemed to be 
spitting out long strips of paper, like a magician in 
a side-show. The man looked up as he entered, and 
cleared his throat. <‘Ahem,” he said, ^‘you look as 
if you were from the country. I wonder, now, if you 
have come to the city to seek your fortune.” 

Archie was embarrassed. “ Yes, sir, I suppose you 
might put it that way,” he replied. 

‘‘Well,” continued the old gentleman, “ my advice 
to you is to go back where you came from as quickly 
as you can. Not one boy in a thousand will gain 
either fame or fortune in New York, and you stand a 
wonderful chance of sinking lower every year. And 
even if you do succeed, you will miss many beautiful 
things in your life which may come to you in the 


LOOKING FOR WORK 


77 


country. You can have a pleasant home there, and 
live an easy, natural life, while here it will be years 
before you can expect to accomplish much, and you 
will spend your life in a nervous strain. Think well, 
young man, before choosing the great city as your 
sphere of usefulness.” 

. ‘‘I’ve made up my mind, sir,” said Archie. “I 
have quite decided to remain in the city.” 

“ Very well,” said the old gentleman, “ I hope you 
may never regret it. But we have already hired an 
office boy. Good morning.” 

Archie walked out, more discouraged than ever. 
Perhaps, after all, a country life was not to be so much 
despised. This man ought to know what he was talk- 
ing about. But once outside, in the Broadway crowd, 
Archie forgot everything about the country, and was 
lost in the delight of being one of four million. 

He now decided to accept the place in the res- 
taurant, if it were not taken, and, fortunately for him, 
it was not. So he rolled up his sleeves, and began 
to wash dishes as if he had done nothing else in all 
his life before. 


CHAPTER IX. 


IN THE STREET AGAIN THE POLICE STATION 

VISITS THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE, AND IS KINDLY 
RECEIVED BY THE EDITOR. 

All day long Archie washed dishes, and before 
night came he decided that he had never before had 
such discouraging work. The restaurant was a pop- 
ular one, and there were very many dishes to be 
washed, to say nothing of the pots and pans which 
were always dirty. Archie no sooner finished one 
sink full of dishes than another large pile was wait- 
ing to be put through the same operation, and there 
was no time at all for looking about him. There 
was hardly time for eating, even, and at noon he was 
only able to snatch a few mouthfuls. The work 
was not interesting, and it was a new sort of labour 
to Archie, so that altogether he did not get on as 
well as he might have wished. The cook was con- 
stantly nagging him, and telling him to hurry up, 
and the poor lad tried his best to please him. But 
78 


IN THE STREET AGAIN, 


79 


somehow everything went wrong, and he was hardly 
surprised when the proprietor came in at six o’clock 
with a new man for the place. “Come around in 
the morning,” he said to Archie, “and I’ll pay your 
day’s wages.” 

So the boy was in the street once more, with no 
money, and no place to sleep. He wasn’t hungry, 
that was one thing, for he had been allowed to eat a 
good meal before leaving the restaurant. But where 
was he to sleep, and what was he to do on the 
morrow, when he would surely be hungry.? His 
experience at looking for work had not been encour- 
aging, and he began to have serious doubts as to 
whether he would ever get a place. Certainly he 
would starve if he waited around New York long 
without anything to do. 

It was quite dark at seven o’clock, and Archie 
walked over to the brilliantly lighted street which 
ran north and south through the city. He had never 
failed to find something interesting to look at there, 
and he felt now that he would like to see the bright 
side of city life, even if he couldn’t enjoy it himself. 
So all the evening he walked up and down the street, 
watching the well-dressed crowds hurrying into the 
theatres and the other almost innumerable places of 


8o THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

amusement. He stared in open-mouthed amazement 
at some of the costumes of the women he saw alight- 
ing from carriages. Never before had he seen any- 
thing half so beautiful, and if any one had told him 
that there were such dresses he would have told 
them he didn’t believe it. Some of them, he thought, 
must cost hundreds of dollars, and the jewels worn 
with them many hundreds more. How interesting, 
how new, it all was to him ! Once he thought of the 
little home in the village, and at first wished that his 
mother might be there to enjoy the sights with him. 
“ But I wouldn’t want her to see me,” he thought, 
‘‘not while I am so miserable, and feeling so dis- 
couraged.” For Archie was beginning to wonder if 
he hadn’t made a mistake in leaving home, whether 
he had not been overconfident and hot-headed. But he 
decided to try it a few days more, that is, if he 
could manage to live for that length of time in the 
city. 

At twelve o’clock he was walking up and down 
the street, which was still bright with millions of 
lights, though the crowds had gone home from the 
theatres, and the restaurants were beginning to be 
less popular. He was still wondering how he was 
going to find a place to sleep, when he was accosted 


THE POLICE STATION. 


8l 


by a policeman, and taken into a doorway. I’ve 
been watching you,” said the officer, and I want to 
know why you are walking up and down the street 
at this time of night.” 

Archie could have cried from fright, but he re- 
membered that he was under suspicion, so decided 
to tell the policeman his whole story, and perhaps 
he could help him out in some way. So he described 
his experiences during the day, and was surprised at 
the interest shown by the officer in the recital. 
When he had finished he was told that he would be 
taken to the police station. “You needn’t be afraid, 
my lad,” said the policeman. “I’ll see that the 
Gerry Society doesn’t get you and send you home, 
that is, if you think you want to try it here a few 
days longer. You can sleep at the station to-night, 
and the next morning you can try it again.” So to the 
station they went, and Archie was, naturally, a little 
frightened when he saw, for the first time, the cells, 
and the terribly severe appearance of all his surround- 
ings. But he was given a good bed in which to sleep, 
and he passed a delightful night, dreaming of the 
wonderful adventures which befell him in the city. 

He was not awakened until eight o’clock, and then 
he found the good policeman waiting to take him out 


82 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

to breakfast. He expressed surprise that he should 
be so kind to him. 

“ I always thought that officers were cross and 
unpleasant,” he said, *‘but you’re not that kind, 
anyhow.” 

‘‘Well,” laughed the officer, “we have to be cross 
very often, though we’re sometimes sorry to be so. 
But I’ve taken a fancy to you, my lad. I like to see 
a boy who does things. When a boy of seventeen 
is willing to come to New York alone, and make his 
own way, without friends or influence of any kind, 
it shows a proper spirit, and he ought to succeed. 
I know you’ll get along if you only persevere. I’d 
advise you to keep on trying.” 

“Oh, I’m going to, now,” said Archie. “I was 
very homesick and discouraged last night, but since 
I’ve met you I seem to have received a new impetus, 
and I’m ready to make a new beginning.” 

So Archie and the policeman parted friends. 

“ Come around to the station tomight if you want 
a bed, and you shall be cared for,” said the officer, as 
he turned around the corner into the busy street, 
where he was lost in the crowd. 

Archie walked down the street, hardly knowing 
what to do first. He didn’t feel like answering any 


VISITS THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE. 83 

more advertisements in the newspapers, and he de- 
cided to go into a few stores and ask for work. He 
was about to do this when he saw before him the 
magnificent building of the New York Enterprise. 
It was a truly beautiful structure, rising fifteen 
stories above the ground, and surmounted with an 
artistic tower, which could be seen from almost any 
part of the city. The home of the city’s greatest 
daily, it looked as if it were always welcoming 
strangers to the metropolis, and Archie felt an irre- 
sistible impulse to enter. Everything connected with 
a newspaper had for him the greatest fascination, 
and he knew he would enjoy seeing through this 
wonderful building, which was almost wholly occupied 
by the departments of the Enterprise. So he entered 
the door, and passed from one floor to another. 
Anally arriving at the highest floor of all, where were 
located the editorial rooms of the Evening Enterprise. 
All at once a new plan entered Archie’s fertile brain. 
Why shouldn’t he be able to get something to do 
on a newspaper.? It had always been his greatest 
ambition to become a reporter, and here, although 
he didn’t think the editor would take him in that 
capacity, he thought he might get some sort of work, 
in which he could work himself up. 


84 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

There upon the door were the magic words : 
“ Editor of the Evening Enterprise. No Admittance.” 
Archie opened the door and entered. He knew it 
would be useless to send in his name. It was best 
to see the editor at once, and without ceremony. 
He was seated before a large desk, which was littered 
with papers of every description, and he was a very 
pleasant person in appearance. Archie stood hesitat- 
ing near the door, and remained there a minute or 
two before the editor looked up. 

“ Well, my boy, what is it ” 

Archie took courage. 

‘‘I — I want to be a reporter, sir, and I thought 
it would do no harm to ask you for such a position, 
anyhow.” 

The distinguished journalist wheeled about in his 
chair. 

“ What ! ” he exclaimed, you want to be a re- 
porter. Why, my dear boy, how old are you } ” 

ril be eighteen my next birthday,” said Archie, 
“ and, sir, Tve had some experiences in the last two 
weeks, which make me feel as if I were about five 
years older than I really am. I’ve been through 
some very trying experiences, sir.” 

The editor was interested at once. Tell me what 





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VISITS THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE. 87 

your experiences have been,” he said, and Archie 
began, and told him his whole story; how he had 
left home to win fame and fortune, and how he had 
worked on the farm for a week with Farmer Tinch ; 
how he had been robbed the night he stayed with 
the tramps in the ancient ruins, and how he had 
finally reached the city. Then he told him of the 
night in the lodging-house, of his dish-washing expe- 
rience in the restaurant, and how he had been taken 
from the street by a policeman the night before, 
and allowed to sleep in the station-house. When he 
had finished the editor had a broad grin upon his 
face. 

By Jove!” he exclaimed, ^^this is certainly rich 
stuff. There’s a good story in it. I’ll be bound.” 

Then, speaking to Archie, he said : 

“Just wait here a minute, my boy, and I’ll see if 
we can’t put some money in your way.'” 

He pressed a button at the side of his desk, and 
when a boy appeared, he told him to bring “Mr. 
Jones, please, or one of the other reporters. And 
tell Jones to bring an artist with him.” 

The reporter and the artist soon stood before the 
editor, who told them, with great glee, that he had a 
leading feature for the next evening edition of the 


88 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

Enterprise. ''Just talk to this boy, Jones, and see if 
you can’t make two good columns on the front page 
and two for the inside from his story. I think it’s 
great, myself. And you Cash,” he said, turning to 
the artist, "you make a good sketch of the boy.” 

Archie could hardly believe his eyes and ears. 
Just to think that he was being interviewed, and that 
his picture was to be in the paper. It seemed almost 
too good to be true. 

When the reporter had finished with him, he was 
taken down-stairs to the cashier’s office and given 
thirty dollars in bills. "This will pay you for the 
interview,” said the editor, "and give you enough to 
fix up with. Now, to-morrow, you come in again, 
and I think I can give you steady employment.” 

Oh, how happy Archie was ! He went out into the 
street, and seemed to fairly walk on air. Then he 
heard the newsboys crying, " Extra paper, read about 
the Enterprise s Boy Reporter.” And when Archie 
saw the paper, there on the front page was his 
picture, together with the story of his "startling 
adventures.” 


CHAPTER X. 


LIVING IN COMFORT AGAIN FEATURED AS “THE 

BOY REPORTER.” 

Archie often speaks of the day when he visited 
the newspaper office for the first time as the happiest 
day in all his life. The change from despair and home- 
sickness to the joy of being appreciated by some one 
was so rapid that it made his head fairly swim with 
the exhilaration of success. With thirty dollars in 
his pocket, and the knowledge that he would have 
steady employment of the kind he desired on the 
morrow, he walked up the Bowery feeling like a 
prince. He entered the lodging-house where he had 
left his bundle of clothing, and so surprised the clerk 
by his new appearance that he was invited to remain 
there for another night. The shrewd man guessed 
that some good fortune must have befallen Archie, or 
he wouldn’t be so happy. But the one night of 
misery which he had spent in the squalid hotel was 
enough for Archie, and he walked hastily up-town 
89 


90 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

with his bundle, keeping a sharp lookout for a 
pleasant place where he might get a room. In his 
previous wanderings he had seen several nice houses 
with rooms to rent, but now that he wanted a room 
he found it difficult to find any of these neighbour- 
hoods. He was anxious to get settled as quickly as 
possible, for he wanted to get everything done to-day, 
so that to-morrow he could have time to do anything 
required of him by the editor of the Enterprise. He 
must get a new suit of clothes, he must get his hair 
cut, and last, but not least, he must write home to 
mother and tell her of his great good fortune. 

Finally, in his wanderings, Archie came to a beau- 
tiful square which was surrounded on every side by 
business houses and tenements. But the square 
itself and the houses on it were very quaint and 
very handsome, so that it seemed to be a very oasis 
in the desert. The green trees, just a little tinged 
with the brown and gold of autumn, reminded Archie 
of the front yard at home, and he decided to get a 
room in one of the houses here if he could possibly 
do so. 

It so happened that there was a hall bedroom 
empty in one of the best-looking places, and Archie 
at once engaged it. The price was more reasonable 


LIVING IN COMFORT AGAIN. 


91 


than he had hoped for, even, and this made him 
happy, for as yet he had no idea how much his 
earnings would be, and he was anxious to be able to 
save something to send home, if he possibly could. 
The room was nicely furnished, and looked out upon 
the fountain, with the green trees, so that it was 
highly satisfactory in every respect. It didn’t take 
Archie long to undo his bundle, and it was a pitiful 
display that greeted him when it was opened. The 
little comb and brush, a piece of soap, a Testament 
given him last Christmas by the teacher at Sunday 
school, a suit of underwear, and a couple of handker- 
chiefs. The whole lot of things hardly filled a corner 
in one of the bureau drawers, and Archie realised 
that he must buy a great many things within a week 
or two. 

But before going out to do any shopping, he sat 
down and wrote a long letter home, describing his 
success of the morning, and telling his mother of the 
editor’s promise to give him regular employment. 
He enclosed a copy of the paper with his picture 
and the story of his adventures, and it made him 
very happy to think of his mother’s feelings when 
she read it all. Then, when he had finished, he 
went out to a post-office, and bought a money-order 


92 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

for ten dollars, which he also enclosed. ‘‘I know 
I can spare it,” he said to himself, and it will gratify 
her so much.” Then, when the letter with its con- 
tents was safely mailed, he bought himself a new 
suit of clothing, and renovated himself in many ways, 
so that when he returned to his room in the square 
it was nearly dark, and he looked a different boy 
entirely. 

Before going to bed, he determined to see his 
policeman friend, and tell him of his good fortune. 
“He is probably expecting me to sleep in the 
station,” Archie thought, “and it will be a great 
surprise to him.” But when he met the good man, 
he found that he had already heard of his success. 

“ I bought the Enterprise^ and could hardly believe 
my eyes,” said he, “ but I always thought you would 
find some one to appreciate your pluck. I’m mighty 
glad for you, my lad, and you must always let me 
know how you are getting along.” This Archie 
promised to do, and returned to his lodging to sleep. 

The next morning he was on hand at the Enter- 
prise office before the editor himself was down. The 
place was quite as fascinating as it had been on the 
preceding day, and he found something new to look 
at every minute. The reporters at their desks. 


FEATURED AS THE **BOY REPORTERS 93 

several of whom introduced themselves and congratu- 
lated Archie on his perseverance, were a source of 
great interest to him, and the copy-boys, running 
here and there with special copy for the first edition, 
gave an air of hustling activity to the place that was 
very attractive to this new reporter. 

When the editor came he had already thought of 
something for Archie to do. “ Now you’ve been 
introduced to the public,” he said, “and we want 
to feature you for a few days. Every one will be 
interested in knowing what you are doing, and what 
is going to become of you. You must write us an 
article for the paper to-day, telling about your ex- 
periences since yesterday, about getting a new suit, 
and about hunting for a room. And you can tell 
about your policeman friend, too.” 

This was surprising. Archie couldn’t imagine why 
any one should be interested in knowing about his 
daily life, but he sat down and succeeded in writing 
a very interesting two columns about it. He was 
much surprised that he should be able to write so 
easily and so well. Of course he knew that compo- 
sition and rhetoric had been his two strongest studies 
at school, but he had never realised before that he 
had any great talent for writing. When he had 


94 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

finished this article, the editor looked it over, and 
said, ‘‘ That’s ' great. You’re all right, my boy. 
We’ll make a great journalist of you yet,” and of 
course this made Archie very happy. “ Wait until 
this story is set up,” said Mr. Jennings, the editor, 
“ and I’ll see what you can do in the way of correct- 
ing proofs.” 

When the proofs came, in a very short time, he 
hardly knew what to do with them. But in reading 
them he discovered several mistakes, which he lost 
no time in correcting, and Mr. Jennings said that he 
had done very well indeed. “ Now you can spend 
the day in doing what you please. I would suggest 
that you go about New York and have as many 
strange experiences as possible, so that to-morrow 
you can write them up for us. And it will pay you, 
by the way, to go out to Coney Island, which is a 
different place from any you have seen before. You 
are sure to see some unusual things, and in the 
morning you can bring me in two columns about it.” 

Before leaving, Archie was asked if he needed any 
money. You mustn’t hesitate to ask for it, because 
you can have it as well to-day as on Saturday.” 
But as he had left several dollars of the thirty he 
had received the day before, Archie didn’t draw any 


FEATURED AS THE BOY REPORTERS 95 

more, and he thought it most remarkable that the 
editor should have so much money to pay out. 

He had no difficulty in getting a trolley-car to 
Coney Island, and, after an hour’s riding through 
Brooklyn streets, he found himself in the most 
unique and most delightful place imaginable. It was 
a queer-looking town, with great wheels in the air, 
high towers, with elevators and innumerable merry- 
go-rounds, and other sources of amusement. The 
noise was something terrific. Hand-organs, street- 
pianos, and German bands were all playing at the 
same time, while people hurried about from one 
place to another, enjoying the hundreds of games 
and riding the various scenic railways and carrousels. 
Archie stood mute with delight at it all, but before 
five minutes had passed he had shot the chutes, and 
had ridden over a steeplechase which took him 
through dark caverns, where dragons glared at him 
and where electrical sparks were constantly flying 
through the air. It was all so new, so different 
from anything he had seen before, that he was 
simply lost in admiration. He was standing near 
a theatre, when a short, dark man touched him on 
the arm, and said, Come this way, young man, and 
I’ll teach you the best game of all.” 


chapter XL 


A DAY AND A NIGHT IN CONEY ISLAND RAIDING 

A GAMBLING DEN. 

Archie was at first too much surprised to answer 
the man at all, but in a few moments he remembered 
that he was now a reporter, and that it was his duty 
to see all that he could, and have all the new experi- 
ences possible. So he decided to follow the man, 
and find out what “the best thing of all” in Coney 
Island was like. He was taken through several nar- 
row alleyways, and finally he found himself in front 
of a tumble-down structure, built out directly over 
the water. It was very modest in appearance, and 
everything seemed quiet about the place. The 
shades were carefully drawn, and the dark man had 
to knock three times before the door was opened 
and they were permitted to enter. Inside, Archie 
found himself in a handsomely furnished apartment 
which differed greatly in appearance from the ex- 
terior of the building. There was a rich velvet 
96 


m COIVEY ISLAJYD. 


9; 


carpet, mahogany furniture, and a great many small 
tables standing about the room. The place was 
filled with men, mostly well-dressed, who were play- 
ing various games. Some were dealing cards, others 
were twirling wheels with numbers on them, and 
some were playing games with chips. It didn’t take 
Archie long to realise that he had been steered into 
a gambling den of the worst kind, and he was 
immediately on the alert for future developments. 
He watched every movement of his new friend, and 
noticed that he found it necessary to speak to several 
of those present in a low undertone. This didn’t 
worry Archie, because he knew that he was in no 
danger except of losing money, and he felt that he 
could afford to lose some money, since he was sure 
to earn more by writing about the experience for 
the newspaper. 

So he carefully observed all that was going on, 
making mental notes of the peculiarities of the place 
and the people. When at last the dark man came 
up and inquired if he wouldn’t like a chance to earn 
some money easily, he very readily answered yes, 
and the man was overjoyed to find so willing a 
victim. Then, of course, Archie was introduced to 
the mysteries of the famous roulette wheel, of which 


98 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

he had read so much. Archie was interested in 
everything, and didn’t mind losing four dollars in 
learning so much that was new. He succeeded 
in getting away when he had lost this sum, though 
the man assured him that he couldn’t help winning 
back all he had lost, and much more, too, if he would 
but remain awhile longer. Archie was firm, how- 
ever, and passed out into the narrow alleyways again, 
feeling that he had learned a great deal through a 
very small expenditure of money. He gradually 
found his way back into the crowded Surf Avenue, 
where there were hundreds of things, evidently, 
which he had not yet seen. The crowds, too, seemed 
greater even than before, and there seemed to be 
thousands of people arriving every hour from New 
York and Brooklyn, over the various street-car and 
railway lines, and by the excursion boats landing at 
the great iron pier. The noise was still deafening, 
and every one seemed to be having a splendid time 
in every way. ''Surely,” said Archie to himself, "no 
one can feel blue or despondent in such a place as 
this, where every one is full of fun, and apparently 
determined to have a good time while here.” And 
he felt that he would like to remain longer, but he 
knew he should go back again to the city, so that he 


IN CONEY ISLAND. 


99 


might see the editor, and tell him something about 
what he had seen and done. 

So again he rode over the great Brooklyn bridge, 
and stopped on the other side at the handsome build- 
ing of the Enterprise. It made Archie very happy 
to feel that he was now a reporter on such a great 
paper, and he found it hard to realise that so much 
good fortune had come to him in such a short time. 
He met reporters in the various hallways, and all of 
them spoke to him pleasantly, so that he began to 
feel that he had never been thrown with such 
pleasant men before. 

He had no difficulty in seeing the editor this time, 
and found him a ready listener to the story of his 
Coney Island experiences. He insisted on Archie’s 
describing all the men he had seen in the gambling 
den, and then asked him if he could identify them, if 
necessary, and also if he would be able to find the 
place again. Archie gave good descriptions of most 
of the men, and said that he could take any one to 
the place at any time. The editor lost himself in 
thought for a few minutes, and at the end of that 
time he rang for a copy-boy. “Ring for a messenger 
boy,” he said, “and when he arrives come for a note 
which I want him to take to Mr. Pultzer’s house.” 


tffC. 


100 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

Archie stared with amazement at Mr. Jennings, and 
waited for further information. He wondered what 
was going to be done. He knew that Mr. Pultzer 
owned the newspaper, and he knew that it must 
be something important that Mr. Jennings wanted to 
write him about. He wasn’t long left in the dark, 
and he felt very proud that Mr. Jennings should 
have confidence enough in him to tell him about his 
plans. “ I think you have discovered something 
which will prove very important to the paper and the 
public,” he said to Archie. *‘We have suspected for 
a long time that gambling dens have been flourishing 
in Coney Island, but up to now we have not been 
able to locate any of them. Now that you have 
found one, we hope to arouse public opinion to 
the danger there is in such places, and we hope 
to inspire a reform movement which will be strong 
enough to wipe them out entirely. I will hear from 
Mr. Pultzer in a short time, and then I want you to 
go down to the Island with some plain-clothes detec- 
tives and two other reporters. And I don’t mind 
telling you now that there will be a good sum in it 
for you if you succeed in arresting any of the leaders 
of this gang. You can be excused for an hour now> 
if there’s anything you want to do.” 


RAIDING A GAMBLING DEN. 


lOI 


Full of enthusiasm over the coming adventure and 
his part in it, Archie hurried out to a quick-lunch 
counter and bought himself a light meal, for he 
feared that he would have to remain at Coney Island 
through the evening. Then, when he had finished, he 
returned to the newspaper office, where he spent 
some time in getting acquainted with some of the 
reporters who were working on the Morning Enter- 
prise. He found them all very pleasant to meet, 
and he learned a great many helpful things from 
their conversation. The older men were able to give 
him many pointers concerning things that he should, 
and should not, do. While he was in the office of 
the Morning E^iterprise Mr. Jennings came in, and, 
taking him along into the private room of the manag- 
ing editor, introduced him to Mr. Van Bunting, who 
was the editorial head of the morning edition. Then 
Mr. Jennings told of the new scheme, and Mr. Van 
Bunting entered into it so thoroughly that before an 
hour three detectives, two reporters, and Archie were 
on their way to the Island. 

Once arrived in the resort, which was as noisy and 
bright as in the afternoon, they all made a bee-line 
for the gambling den, headed by Archie, who sur- 
prised the others with his certainty and confidence 


102 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

as to which was the right direction. In a very few 
minutes they all stood in front of the dilapidated 
structure built out over tide-water, and Archie heard 
one of the detectives say that the place looked 
mighty suspicious like.” He gave three knocks 
just as the dark man had done in the afternoon, 
and in a few minutes the door was cautiously opened 
and a head made its appearance. The detectives lost 
no time in pushing their way in, amid great confusion 
and cries of fear, and it seemed only a few seconds 
until all the inmates were huddled in a corner, cov- 
ered with pistols, and wailing in fear, when they 
weren’t cursing through anger. Then they were all 
arrested and taken to the police station, where they 
were all refused bail, and placed in cells overnight. 
Then the reporters returned to the office of the 
Enterprisey where Archie was told by Mr. Van 
Bunting to write the story of his experience for 
the morning paper. This was his first work for the 
morning edition, and he took great pains to make his 
descriptions as complete as possible, and the details 
as accurate as he knew how to make them. And his 
hard work was rewarded by words of praise from the 
managing editor when he turned the copy in for 
editing. 


RAIDING A GAMBLING DEN. 10 $ 

Tired from his hard day’s work, Archie then went 
up-town to the quiet square in which he had his 
home, and he was glad to get to bed. He had been 
nervous and excited all day, and found it difficult to 
sleep, but finally the tired eyelids lay quietly over 
the tired eyes, and Archie was dreaming of the cool 
and pleasant arbour of grapes at home, and of how 
the Hut Club was holding a special meeting there 
to devise ways and means of welcoming home their 
distinguished fellow member, Mr. Archie Dunn, who 
had achieved such great success in the city. 

Notwithstanding his tired feeling, Archie was up 
early the next morning, and out at the corner to buy 
an Enterprise. He hastily turned the pages, trying 
to find the story of his Coney Island adventures, but 
he looked in vain. It wasn’t visible anywhere. He 
was about to think that it had not been thought 
worth while printing when he noticed on the front 
page, in large letters, ^‘The Boy Reporter’s Great 
Discovery,” and then followed the complete account, 
just as he had written it. This was the best thing 
yet. Just to think that his story had been considered 
important enough to print upon the front page ! He 
could hardly believe it. Surely he had made great 
strides, and Archie began to realise that it is not 


104 ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

experience that is most needed in journalism, but 
something to write about. I have simply been for- 
tunate in finding some interesting things,” he said, to 
himself, and then, after a light breakfast in a quaint 
Italian restaurant around the corner, he hurried down- 
town to the office of the newspaper. 

Archie was beginning to feel, by now, that he had 
worked for a long time upon the paper, and as he 
had become acquainted with almost every one con- 
nected with it, this wasn’t a strange feeling for him 
to have. And it was evident, too, that the editors 
intended to keep him busy for some time to come, 
and Archie realised that he was in newspaper work 
to stay, for a time, at least. And he was overjoyed 
at the prospect, for he found the whole business as 
fascinating and as interesting as he had expected it 
would be. 

Mr. Jennings, of the evening edition, was at the 
office when Archie arrived, and sent for him to come 
in. Here is fifty dollars,” he said, for your work 
of yesterday, and you will have more coming to you 
if these men are convicted. I want to congratulate 
you on what you have done so far. Come in this 
afternoon, and I think Mr. Van Bunting will have a 
new plan for you.” 


CHAPTER XII. 


A SUCCESSFUL REPORTER THE EDITOR DECIDES TO 

SEND HIM AS CORRESPONDENT TO THE PHILIP- 
PINES LEAVING NEW YORK IN CHICAGO. 

At three o’clock in the afternoon Archie was 
seated in Mr. Van Bunting’s office, together with 
Mr. Jennings and several of the chief members of 
the editorial staffs of both editions of the paper. 
The editors had spread out before them, on the 
large table, several maps, and most of them were 
busily engaged in making notes on little paper pads. 
All the time, however, an excited conversation was 
being carried on, for some editors wanted Archie to 
proceed to the Philippines one way, and some thought 
that the better plan would be for him to go by some 
other route. But the important fact with Archie 
was that he was really going to be sent to the Philip- 
pines as a war correspondent, and that he was going 
to start very shortly. He had called on Mr. Van 
Bunting early in the afternoon, and had then learned 
105 


I06 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

for the first time what the new plan was to be. 
When the managing editor asked him how he would 
like to go to the Philippines, Archie could scarcely 
reply, so delighted was he with the brilliant prospect 
before him. He managed to stammer out a few 
words, though, in spite of his surprise. “ I always 
thought war correspondents were selected from the 
most experienced men in journalism,” he said, but 
Mr. Van Bunting only laughed. That’s what we 
have already done, my boy,” he said, “and so far 
none of our distinguished correspondents have sent 
us a thing worth printing that we didn’t already 
know. You see they can’t send any more to us in 
the way of news than we can get from the War 
Department in Washington, and most of these men 
are too old fogy to send us anything out of the 
ordinary line of war correspondence. Now, what 
we want is for you to go over there and have some 
adventures, and write us something which will be 
different from what we have had before from the 
Philippines. We are sending you, because you have 
had no experience at such work, and will be sure to 
send us something unusual, and that is what we 
want. If you can only do as well in the tropics as 
you have done here in New York, we shall be more 


A SUCCESSFUL REPORTER. \0^ 

than satisfied with your work. I am sorry that I 
won’t have time to give you very complete instruc- 
tions, but perhaps it will be as well. And now some 
of the men are waiting outside to come in and talk 
this matter over, so we’ll have them in now.” 

And Archie found himself in the midst of an 
editorial conference, during which many things were 
discussed. The meeting lasted more than two hours, 
and finally it was decided that Archie should travel 
from New York to San Francisco, and go from there 
to Manila on the army transport which was to sail 
on the twenty-fifth of the month. This meant that 
he would have to leave the city in two days’ time, 
and Archie announced himself as quite willing to 
do this, as he had few preparations to make. The 
editors gave him many instructions about how he 
was to address his correspondence, and how he should 
proceed in the event of finding it necessary to send 
despatches by cable. And at the end of the confer- 
ence he felt that he knew all that he would need 
to know, so that he could start off without fear of 
not being able to fulfil his mission. As far as Archie 
could understand it, his chief instructions as to duty 
were to the effect that he must have as many ex- 
periences as possible of as many different kinds, and 


I08 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

that he must write about them in a perfectly natural 
way, just as if he were writing a letter to the folks 
at home. And he thought, of course, that this 
would be very easy to do. 

Mr. Van Bunting gave him a letter of credit for 
six hundred dollars, which amount, he said, would 
probably be sufficient to pay his expenses while he 
was in the Philippines, and he also gave him a cheque 
for three hundred dollars, which was intended to pay 
the expense of getting to Manila. ‘‘ Of course,” 
said Mr. Van Bunting, “you can spend as much or 
as little of this as you please, and if you need more, 
and we find that the venture is paying us, why, we 
will send it on demand.” Archie was so overcome 
with the knowledge that he possessed nine hundred 
dollars, that he could hardly thank the editor enough, 
and he made up his mind that he would spend as little 
as possible of the sum, and bring back part of it 
to Mr. Van Bunting upon his return. He couldn’t 
imagine how it would be possible for him to spend 
so much money, and he felt that, after some of his 
experiences since he left home, he ought to be able 
to economise in many ways where other reporters 
wouldn’t know how to save at all. 

When the two days were up Archie had made all 


LEAVING NEW YORK. IO9 

his preparation, and was ready to leave New York 
for Manila. He had sent a long letter home to his 
mother, telling her of his great good fortune, and 
enclosing a cheque for a hundred dollars, which she 
was to spend while he was gone. He told her that 
he would send her more money from time to time, 
and felt very proud as he mailed the letter. He told 
her, too, that if at any time she didn’t hear from him 
on time, she could write to Mr. Van Bunting, and he 
would let her know of his whereabouts. This was 
something which Mr. Van Bunting had very thought- 
fully advised him to do. ''Your mother is sure to 
worry if the mails are overdue,” he had said, "and if 
she writes to me, I will always be able to tell her 
of your whereabouts, for we can hear of you through 
our other correspondents, if not from your own des- 
patches.” So Archie felt that his mother shouldn’t 
worry, since he was such a fortunate boy in so many 
ways. 

The night before leaving he took a long farewell 
walk up Broadway. Everything was bright with 
light, and there was, as usual, a great crowd of 
pleasure-seekers on the sidewalks. It was all as 
fascinating as ever to Archie, and he felt sorry that 
he was to leave it so soon. New York had begun to 


no THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 


grow on him, as it grows on any one living there for 
any length of time, who is in a position to appreciate 
the city’s attractions. He felt that he would almost 
rather be on Broadway than in the Philippires, but 
of course he forgot this feeling when he remembered 
the confidence which Mr. Van Bunting had reposed 
in him by sending him upon such an important 
mission. So, after he had passed all the bright 
theatres and restaurants, he turned down a quiet side 
street and returned to his lodging, so that he might 
have a good night’s rest before starting on his long 
journey. 

At seven in the morning he was up again, and at 
nine o’clock he was bidding farewell to his many 
friends in the editorial rooms of the Evening Enter- 
prise. Every one congratulated him upon his great 
good luck in getting such a chance to distinguish 
himself, and when they had done telling him that he 
had a great future before him, Archie felt happier 
than ever before in all his life. 

The train left the Grand Central Station at one 
o’clock, and Mr. Jennings went with him to the 
station to see him well started upon the journey. 
‘‘ You may be sure we are all much interested in you, 
Archie,” he said, as the train was leaving, and we 



“ HE . . . FOUND THE GREAT MAN TO BE QUITE AS 
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LEAVING NEW YORK. 


II3 

shall look forward anxiously to your safe return.” 
These words made Archie very glad, for it cheered 
him to know that at least one of the editors liked him 
for himself as well as for what he could do. 

The Southwestern Limited seemed to fairly fly 
along the banks of the beautiful Hudson, and every- 
thing was so delightful that Archie could scarcely 
believe that only a week or two before he had been 
walking along country roads, anxious to reach New 
York, that he might become an office boy. Every 
thing in this train was as perfect as modern ingenuity 
could make it, and there was no lack of interesting 
things to be examined, when Archie tired of the land- 
scape. Then, when the train had been two hours 
out of New York, he discovered that the famous 
president of this great railway system was aboard, 
and, mustering up his courage, he determined to 
introduce himself. He had long been anxious to see 
this famous after-dinner orator and statesman, and 
here was a chance which might not come soon again. 
So he went back to the drawing-room, and found the 
great man to be quite as pleasant as he was interest- 
ing, and Archie was asked to seat himself and tell 
something about his experiences since leaving home. 
.Everything he said was listened to with great interest, 


1 14 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

and this distinguished wit seemed to find many of the 
adventures very funny indeed. ‘‘ You have certainly 
had some wonderful experiences,” he said, when 
Archie had finished, “and I can appreciate your 
anxiety to leave school. I had that desire myself when 
I was a boy of about fifteen, but my father succeeded 
in making me change my opinion on the subject, and 
without much argument, unless you can call an ox- 
team and a stony pasture an argument. I had been 
asking to stay at home from school for a long time. 
I said that I was too old to be sitting there with a lot 
of girls and some younger boys, and that I wanted to 
work. Finally, my father said that I could stay at 
home if I cared to, and that he would let me work 
on the farm for a time. I was overjoyed, of course, 
at the prospect of staying out of school. 

“ The next morning I was awakened at four 
o’clock, and had to swallow my breakfast in a hurry, 
because I was late, my father said. Then he took me 
out to the barn and ordered me to hitch up the ox- 
team, and when this was done he took me out to a 
pasture lot and told me to pick up all the boulders 
there. Well, I picked up boulders all day long, and 
by evening my back and arms were so sore I could 
hardly move them. I was too tired to eat supper, 


TN CHICAGO. 


II5 

and was soon asleep in bed. When my father awoke 
me at four the next morning, I told him to let me 
alone and that I was going back to school. After 
that I was content to stay in school, and said nothing 
more about leaving until I had finished the course 
and was ready to go to college.” 

And Archie thought it very queer that such a 
famous man should have had such experiences when 
a boy. He remained in the drawing-room for more 
than an hour, and when he left he felt perfectly sure 
that he had been talking with the most charming 
man in the world. 

The train sped on and on, and when daylight 
came the next morning they were passing through 
Northern Ohio. Early in the afternoon they reached 
a great smoky metropolis, spread out for miles over 
the plains. Archie knew that this must be Chicago, 
and he decided, as this was Saturday, and the 
steamer wouldn’t leave San Francisco until the next 
Friday, that he would have time to remain here over 
Sunday. So he left the train at the station in 
Pacific Avenue, and, finding a hotel near the station, 
he started out to see something of the city famous 
for its dirt and for the World’s Fair, two widely dif- 
ferent things. 


CHAPTER XIII. 


SAN FRANCISCO THE TRANSPORT GONE WORKING 

HIS WAY TO HONOLULU BY PEELING VEGE- 
TABLES ON A PACIFIC LINER THE CAPITAL 

OF HAWAII. 

Archie found Chicago to be so widely different 
from New York that everything he saw was new and 
interesting to him. In the afternoon he managed to 
see something of the congested business section of 
the city, the tall office buildings, the great stores, and 
the famous Board of Trade. It was all very fine, he 
thought, but still it wasn’t nearly so fascinating to 
him as New York had been on the first day he visited 
it. “ Chicago seems so very much like some great 
town,” he explained to the hotel clerk in the evening. 

I feel as if I were not in a great city at all, because 
there are not the evidences of a large and wealthy 
population that we have everywhere in New York.” 
Archie spoke of New York as if he had lived there 
always, and found much to criticise in Chicago. But 

ii6 


SAJV FRANCISCO. 


117 


toward evening he went up to Lincoln Park and the 
beautiful North Shore, and he felt that there was 
nothing more beautiful in New York than this mag- 
nificent park, and this handsome Lake Shore Drive, 
with its great houses whose lawns reached down 
almost to the lake itself. On the South Side of the 
city, too, he found some handsome streets and resi- 
dences, but there was always that feeling of being in 
some rapidly growing town. It wasn’t hard for 
Archie to realise that there were older houses in his 
native town than could be found anywhere in the 
great city of Chicago. 

The greatest difference between Chicago and New 
York was to be noticed in the evening. Instead of 
the brilliantly lighted thoroughfares of upper Broad- 
way and Twenty- third and Thirty-fourth Streets, he 
found but one street in Chicago which was at all 
illuminated, and the illuminations there were chiefly 
signs in front of dime museums. The streets, too, 
were not so crowded, and Archie almost longed that 
he could be back on Broadway, if only for a little 
while. 

. On Sunday he found Chicago to be a more noisy 
city than he had ever been in before on that day, and 
he found that the people made good use of their one 


Il8 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

weekly holiday. All places of amusement were open, 
and everything was running in '‘full blast.” 

The parks seemed to be very popular, indeed, and 
there were numerous water excursions upon Lake 
Michigan, to Milwaukee, St. Joe, and various other 
neighbouring cities. The street-cars were crowded 
all day long, many of them taking people to a Sunday 
game of baseball at the Athletic Park. All of this 
was very interesting and very new to Archie, but 
it didn’t make him anxious to remain in Chicago any 
longer than Monday morning, so on that day he took 
the limited train for the Pacific Coast, for he had 
determined not to stop off again until he reached 
Denver. 

Days of weary travel over a level, uninteresting 
stretch of ground followed the departure of the train 
from Chicago, and had not Archie found some inter- 
esting persons to talk with he would have been very 
weary long before reaching Denver. As it was, he 
managed to pass the time very pleasantly until the 
train entered Colorado, and after that he found much 
that was new to look at until he reached Denver. 
Here he remained for half a day, just long enough 
to see something of the city and a little of the 
neighbouring country. Then, taking a train for San 


THE TRANSPORT GONE. II9 

Francisco, he reached that city on Thursday after- 
noon, and immediately began to make arrangements 
for sailing. He found, to his great disappointment, 
that the army transport had sailed the previous 
day, contrary to the expectations of the editors, and 
of the War Department itself, until the arrival of 
important despatches from Manila, which made it 
necessary to start the transport at once with sup- 
plies of ammunition. Archie hardly knew what to 
do. He had not anticipated anything like this, and 
could scarcely think of any plan for a time, but, 
finally, he proved himself equal to the emergency. 
He went to the naval agent and asked him when the 
transport would be due at Honolulu, and then he 
ascertained that a passenger steamer sailing for that 
port on Saturday would reach the destination three 
days sooner than the transport, so that by taking the 
liner he would have three extra days in Honolulu, 
and would be able to reach Manila on schedule time, 
after all. He at once decided that this was the 
thing for him to do, and as soon as he thought of 
taking the steamer it occurred to him that he might 
possibly be able to work his way to Honolulu, in- 
stead of paying the regular passenger fare, which he 
knew was high. So he went down to the great 


120 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER, 


docks, and, after interviewing the second steward, he 
approached the chief steward himself, and asked if 
there wasn’t something that he could do aboard the 
ship to earn his passage. The chief steward was 
thoughtful for a time, and finally said, “Well, yes, I 
believe there is. We haven’t any one to peel vege- 
tables yet, and if you think you care to do that 
work I guess we can fix you up all right.” Archie 
didn’t wait to consider whether peeling vegetables 
was hard work or not. He was too glad to have 
a position of any kind aboard ship to be particular 
about what his work was like, so he told the steward 
that he was willing to take the place. “ Well, be on 
hand at about eight in the morning, and we’ll see 
that you get to Honolulu.” 

Archie was overjoyed at his good management. 
“I am going to save about a hundred dollars,” he 
said to himself, “ and I will have this money to send 
home to mother.” The rest of the afternoon and 
the evening he spent in going about San Francisco, 
and he found it to be more like New York than any 
city he had yet seen. There was the same cosmo- 
politan crowd on the main thoroughfares, and the 
same foreign districts here and there throughout 
the city. He found a great deal to interest him. 


WORKING HIS WAY. 


I2I 


especially at the Presidio, where everything connected 
with the army monopolised his attention. He made 
friends with many of the soldiers who were waiting to 
be sent to the Philippines, and hoped, on leaving, that 
he would meet some of them there, but he hardly 
expected that he would meet some of them in such 
a strange manner as it was his fate to do in Luzon. 

After a good night’s rest he was on hand early at 
the great steamer, where there was such a scene of 
bustle and confusion as he had never seen before, 
not even in New York. There was a throng of men 
with trucks who were loading the late freight, and 
there was a constant din of noisy voices, which, com- 
bined with the shrieks of escaping steam, made it im- 
possible to carry on a conversation. Archie hurried 
aboard to find the steward, who immediately took him 
into the galley and introduced him to the cook, a 
large, fat Frenchman, with small, blue eyes set far 
back in his head. He seemed to be a pleasant man, 
and Archie thought that he would like him very much. 

“ Well, does ze youngster vant to vork, eh .? Eef 
he do, I say you pare zis potate for dinee as quick 
you can.” And the fellow pointed to a great bag of 
potatoes and a paring-knife. ‘^Now you sit zere in 
da corner,” continued the cook, “and keep out uf 


122 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

my vay.” Archie found a stool and sat down, and, 
having brought an apron with him, he put it on and 
began work. The cook watched him closely, so 
that Archie soon learned to pare the potatoes very 
nicely, and of course he was able to get along 
faster and faster as he became more and more experi- 
enced. He managed, through great effort, to get 
the bag finished in time for dinner, or luncheon, as 
it was called on the bill of fare, and then he soon 
had to begin on other vegetables, which were to be 
served at the more complete evening meal. There 
were more potatoes, and some turnips and apples as 
well, to be prepared, and it kept the boy busy all the 
afternoon, cleaning as hard as he could, and never 
seeming to get done. The cook urged him always 
to hurry, and seemed determined to have everything 
ready on time. And Archie began to realise that he 
was working under a rather severe master. 

He was again successful in getting the vegetables 
finished in time for the evening meal, and then he 
had an idea that he might be allowed to rest for 
awhile, but he soon realised his mistake. He was 
advised to begin work on the potatoes for breakfast 
if he didn’t want to get up at two o’clock in the 
morning and pare them, so once more he took up 


WORKING HIS WAY. 


123 


the knife and began to clean and scrape. It was ten 
o’clock before he had finished, and he found himself 
too tired to spend any time on the after-deck with 
the crew, but went at once down into the small, 
stuffy room where he was to sleep with some of the 
stewards. His back ached from bending over, and 
his hands were all sore from being scraped. 

Things were not very pleasant in this bedroom, 
but poor Archie was glad enough to be able to lie 
down on the hard straw tick and go to sleep. He 
slept soundly until he was awakened at four o’clock 
in the morning by the second cook, who ordered him 
up-stairs to work. There was no time to wash, and 
no place where he could wash, so the boy was 
obliged to go up just as he was, much as he disliked 
doing so. And once up-stairs there were various 
chores which were waiting for him in the galley, so 
that he was kept running until breakfast was served. 
And then it was time to begin paring vegetables 
again. This turned out to be the invariable daily 
programme, and Archie became rather discouraged. 
Had it not been for the thought that by doing this 
he was saving money to send home, he would have 
been miserable indeed, but this idea kept him hope- 
ful. He was seasick, too, for a time, and was 


124 ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

obliged to keep cleaning vegetables in the galley 
during the whole period of his suffering. The days 
when he was ill in this way were the most disagree- 
able ones of the voyage, and Archie often described 
afterward his feelings as he sat peeling potatoes 
with a bucket standing beside him. Each night he 
slept like a log, and each morning he was obliged to 
get up at four o’clock and start work again. It was 
the same thing day after day, tiresome and monoto- 
nous, so that Archie wasn’t sorry when the beautiful 
island hove in sight, and they anchored in the 
picturesque bay of Honolulu. 

Once at Honolulu, Archie’s term of service on 
board the liner was over, and he was glad, indeed, to 
get ashore, where he learned that the transport had 
not yet arrived, but was expected in two or three 
days’ time. These two or three days Archie deter- 
mined to spend in sightseeing, and he spent his 
time to excellent advantage in visiting every quarter 
of Honolulu and seeing every side of life in the 
Hawaiian capital. He found it a delightful place. 
There was much that was interesting to see, the 
people were pleasant to meet, and the climate was 
perfect. He was almost sorry when he learned that 
the transport had anchored in the bay ! 


CHAPTER XIV. 


THE VOYAGE ON THE TRANSPORT A STORM AT 

SEA ARRIVAL IN MANILA. 

The transport did not remain long at Honolulu, 
and before leaving Archie had several things which 
he wanted to do. In the first place, he felt that he 
ought to write the story of his experiences so far, and 
send it to Mr. Van Bunting ; so he did sit down and 
describe in detail his experiences at cleaning vege- 
tables on board the Pacific liner. He wasn’t sure 
whether this was anything that Mr. Van Bunting 
would care to print, but he decided to send it on, 
anyhow. He would have been surprised had he 
observed the enthusiasm with which this letter was 
read in the Enterprise office a month later. He 
would have been no longer in any doubt as to 
whether it was anything worth printing had he read 
the Enterprise of the following day, when the letter 
appeared on the second page as one of the chief 
features of the paper. 


25 


126 THE ADVENTURES OE A BOY REPORTER. 

Before leaving, too, Archie sent a long, cheerful 
letter home, saying nothing of his being seasick on 
board the liner, or of his having had to work so hard. 
He devoted his letter to telling of the many interest- 
ing things he had seen, and of his bright prospects 
for becoming a successful newspaper man. He 
wrote a shorter letter to Jack Sullivan, which was 
intended to be read to all the members of the Hut 
Club, for Archie felt that it was no more than right 
that they should know something of his success. 
He found it very hard to realise, away off here in 
Honolulu, that he had ever been a member of the 
club, and that he had ever lived in tents behind 
the barn. He felt very manly now, and his boyhood 
seemed far away behind him, so far away that he 
now felt like a man of twenty-five rather than like a 
boy of eighteen. He was beginning to realise that 
age is not always governed by years alone, but that 
experience does much to make one old. 

As soon as the transport had anchored in the bay, 
Archie went aboard to present his credentials to the 
commanding officer. He found the general very 
pleasant to meet, and a very appreciative listener as 
he told of his scheme for overtaking the transport. 
The officer was surprised, of course, that such a 


ON THE TRANSPORT. 


127 


young fellow should be going to the islands as cor- 
respondent, but the things he said were very encour- 
aging to Archie. ‘‘I tell you what,” the general 
remarked, at one time during the conversation, “I 
believe that a young fellow like Dunn, here, can 
find out a great many more interesting things than 
an older man could ever discover. You see the 
youngster has ambition and energy on his side, and 
ambition and energy are two mighty powerful things 
when they’re combined. I’d hate to buck up against 
’em myself.” The other officers agreed with the 
general in this remark, and Archie began to feel 
that, after all, he might not have such a hard time 
finding interesting things to write about as he had 
expected. 

The transport remained in port but one day, and 
in thirty hours after her arrival Archie found himself 
sailing again over the blue Pacific. The weather, 
for a few days, was almost perfect. A cloudless sky 
overhead, a warm breeze from the west, and a 
smooth sea made things very pleasant aboard ship, 
and Archie began to realise that there are times 
when it is delightful to be at sea. The vessel was 
very much overcrowded with troops, and the sleeping 
quarters were but little more pleasant than aboard 


128 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 


the liner. Archie shared a stateroom with three 
sergeants, and they managed to have a lively time 
during the voyage. They played games, told stories, 
and slept in the afternoons, but all this, of course, 
grew rather tiresome after a time, and the voyage 
was becoming monotonous, when there came a severe 
storm which kept things moving for three days. 

None of the navigating officers had expected a 
gale, so that when it came every one was taken 
wholly by surprise, and it came so suddenly that 
there was no time at all for preparation. The sky 
became quickly dark one afternoon about three 
o’clock, and soon the whole horizon was a mass of 
great black clouds, which every moment seemed to 
come lower and lower until they directly overhung 
the ship. There was great excitement aboard the 
ship. Officers hurried here and there shouting 
orders to their men, and the cavalrymen rushed 
about in a frenzy of haste, trying to devise means to 
save their horses, most of which were stabled upon 
the deck. Archie looked on in breathless interest, 
and was surprised to find that he wasn’t at all 
frightened. He even found himself making mental 
notes of the scene, so that he could send the story of 
it all to Mr. Van Bunting when he reached Manila. 


A STORM AT SEA, 


129 


There was but little time for rushing about, and 
it was soon evident that the horses would many of 
them be lost, because there seemed to be absolutely 
no way of saving them if the waves were high enough 
to break over the bulwarks. The storm soon broke 
in great fury, beginning with a fierce wind which 
swept the waves before it. There was but little rain, 
and the waves rose higher and higher with every min- 
ute, until the heavy ship began to roll and pitch in a 
frightful way, so that the soldiers began to think, some 
of them, that she would certainly sink. Finally the 
waves were so high they dashed themselves over the 
decks, and no one was allowed above the gangways. 
The cries of the poor horses, as they felt themselves 
being washed overboard, were frightful to hear, and 
many a trooper cried himself as he thought of his 
horse foundering in the raging sea without. Before 
many minutes all was as dark as night, though the 
watch pointed to but four o’clock, and all lights were 
burning below deck. It was impossible to keep a 
light above, for no lantern could burn in such a 
storm. 

The waves began gradually to subside at ten 
o’clock at night, and a slow steady rain came, which 
soon calmed the sea to a great extent. As soon as 


130 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

it was safe to go above deck, it was found that more 
than a hundred horses had been lost overboard, and 
that one mast had been carried away. Down below 
nearly every man was in his bunk, for there was 
scarcely a person who was not seasick, and most of 
them wouldn’t have cared if the ship had gone down 
with all aboard, such was their feeling of despond- 
ency. Archie was as sick as any of the others, but 
was able to make notes of occurrences just the same. 
And when he grew better the next day, he wrote an 
excellent account of the storm to send to the Enter- 
prise on his arrival in Manila. 

After this rough weather experience, every man 
aboard was anxious to reach port, and when, after 
many more days, the Bay of Cavite was reached, a 
great cheer went up from a thousand throats, for 
everyone was overjoyed at the sight of land. 

The transport came to anchor off the forts which 
had once been Spain’s, and it was announced that 
no one would be allowed to land for two days, until 
advices could be had from Manila and the interior of 
the island. This was very trying for Archie, being 
obliged to sit on deck for two whole days, looking at 
a shore which seemed very inviting, in spite of the 
general dilapidated appearance of the various build- 


ARRIVAL AT MANILA. 


131 

ings and docks. Everything looked different from 
anything he had seen before, and the boy felt that he 
could hardly wait to be allowed to explore some of 
those streets which were so narrow, and those houses 
which were built in such a peculiar fashion. 

Finally, the permission came for the troops to land, 
and Archie received the permission of the general to 
remain with them as long as he wanted to do so. 
And as he had no other plans, the young correspond- 
ent decided that it would be a good plan for him to 
stay right with one of these regiments, for the time 
being at any rate. He knew that they would be 
likely to be sent to the front immediately, and the 
front seemed the place for him to be. 

And then he was already acquainted with many of 
the men, and with the colonel, and he realised that 
this would be an advantage to him in his work. So 
he made his plans to keep with them. 

First they went to Manila, where they remained 
for a week. The quaint old city was a veritable 
fairy-land of wonders to Archie, who had never be- 
fore been in a city so ancient, and here there were so 
many unusual things to be seen. There seemed to 
be absolutely no end to the winding streets, delight- 
ful old houses, and interesting churches, and the boy 


132 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

spent many days in exploring every corner of the 
island capital. The colonel warned him several times 
that he must look out for robbers and other suspi- 
cious characters, but Archie laughed at his fears. 
But the colonel was right, as he found later on. 


CHAPTER XV. 


ARCHIE STARTS OUT ON AN EXPLORING TOUR AND 
HAS SOME STRANGE ADVENTURES AMONG THE 
NATIVES SEIZED BY THE REBELS. 

The days passed very quickly in Manila. The 
regiment was quartered in an old palace which had 
once been used as a residence by the Spanish gov- 
ernors of the islands, and Archie remained in the 
palace with them. There was very little to do while 
they were there. Each morning there were anx- 
ious inquiries for news from the front, but there 
was always the same discouraging reply that no 
trace had yet been found of the fleeing Aguinaldo. 
The men were gradually becoming disheartened at the 
long wait, and there were frequent statements by the 
officers that Aguinaldo would soon be caught if they 
were sent out after him. The dissatisfaction with 
the general in command grew stronger every day, 
and at last things reached a point where there was 


133 


134 '^he adventures of a boy reporter. 

very little loyalty and patriotism displayed among the 
troops. 

The drilling was continued, however, by order of 
the colonel, and every morning the troops marched 
out to a public square near the palace, and went 
through the same old manoeuvres which they had 
practised for months past. And it was harder for 
them to drill each week. At first they were willing 
enough to work, for there was then some prospect of 
their being able to use their knowledge in a fight, 
but now it was beginning to seem that they would 
simply remain in this old palace for a few months 
longer, and then go back again to San Francisco. 
With this opinion in their hearts, it is not to be 
wondered at that most of the men became slouchy 
and careless in their manners and dress, or that even 
the officers themselves became disgusted at the long 
wait for marching orders. 

Things had been going on in this way for a long 
time, when Archie made up his mind that it was time 
he was hustling about and finding something to write 
about which would be interesting to readers of the 
Enterprise. He had sent two articles describing his 
life with the soldiers in the old palace, but he knew 
that he ought to find something more exciting, and 


OJV A AT EXPLORING TOUR. 135 

more like his first articles. So, after much thought, 
he decided that a good plan would be for him to take 
a little trip into the interior of the island, to see 
whether he could find any traces of the insurgents. 
The colonel had held all along for a month, now, that 
the Filipinos were probably all about Manila, and 
still he couldn’t get the permission of the general in 
command to go out and investigate the matter. The 
colonel figured that it would be an easy thing for the 
insurgents to come as near to the city as they cared 
to now, for Lawton and Wheeler were far away in 
the interior after Aguinaldo, and the troops in Manila 
were quietly drilling, and eating, and sleeping, with 
no thought of doing anything else. This line of 
argument seemed very reasonable to Archie, and he 
volunteered to go out and see if he could make any 
discoveries. The colonel assured him that he would 
be in no danger, even if he were caught by the 
rebels, for they would never suspect a boy of Archie’s 
age and size of being a spy. So the lad felt no fear 
at all, and made what few preparations there were to 
be made before starting. He secured a knapsack 
from the commissary officer, and in this he placed 
what few belongings he wanted to take with him, 
together with his note-books and some provisions 


136 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

for the trip. Then he secured a small pistol, which 
he carried in his hip pocket, and he was disappointed 
because the colonel would not allow him to carry a 
rifle. And when he had everything ready he said 
good-bye to his friends in the regiment, and de- 
parted from the palace amid a multitude of cheers. 
At the last moment the colonel tried to dissuade 
him from starting, for fear he might meet with 
some accident, but Archie was determined to make 
the attempt. 

It was his plan not to go farther than fifty miles in 
the interior, for he thought that if he found no traces 
of the rebels in that distance there would be little 
use in going farther into the forest, for it would be 
almost impossible to find them there. So he set out 
gaily upon his trip of exploration, and Archie couldn’t 
remember when he had been so happy before, save 
on that day when he first visited the office of the 
Enterprise. This adventure was exciting enough to 
please the wildest boy in America, and Archie could 
imagine how envious the other boys would be if they 
could but know the trip he was having. It had an 
official air to it, too, for had not the colonel been 
most anxious, in the beginning, that he should go, 
and did he not say that he would reward him hand- 


ON AN EXPLORING TOUR, 1 37 

somely if he were successful in locating any of the 
insurgents, or in proving that he had been right 
when he said they were near Manila ? It was all as 
perfect an adventure as Archie could have imagined. 
He could not have planned a better one if he had 
been able to select any trip he could think of. 

He planned that it would take him at least three 
days to walk fifty miles, and perhaps longer, for the 
roads were not very good in some places. He knew 
that he would find many villages and towns along the 
way, too, for the island was thickly settled in this 
neighbourhood. So if he were obliged to rest, he 
would never be at a loss for a place to get a bed. 
Archie couldn’t help thinking, as he walked along the 
road outside Manila, this first morning, that he might 
find a body of the insurgents in possession of one of 
these towns. They were very bold, he had heard, 
and they probably knew that there were no American 
troops anywhere in the neighbourhood, outside the 
city of Manila itself. And, knowing this, he knew 
they wouldn’t hesitate to camp at the very gates of 
the city, for they were marvellously successful in 
getting away into the interior whenever an American 
force made its appearance. 

As he thought of this possibility, Archie couldn’t 


138 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

help being a little fearful of what might happen to 
him should he fall into the hands of the insurgents, 
and he began to wonder if he had not been a little 
foolhardy, after all, in starting off on such a wild- 
goose chase. “But I will have something new to 
send Mr. Van Bunting about the interior towns,” 
he said to himself, “ and if I am captured, why, I will 
have a great deal to write about when I am released.” 
This thought made the lad happy again, and he 
trudged along the road with as much vim and energy 
as he had displayed during those weary days when he 
was walking to New York to make his fortune. And 
it was a much more interesting country in which to 
walk than the New York State counties had been. 
The vegetation was rich and luxuriant ever3rwhere, 
palm-trees, vines, and flowers growing in profusion all 
along the road. In every dooryard, in front of every 
hut, there grew what seemed to Archie a veritable fairy 
bower of the most richly coloured flowers in existence. 
And they were growing, apparently, without cultiva- 
tion. He had seen nothing like them before, even 
in California, and he longed to pluck some of them 
to send home, if they had only been wax instead of 
nature’s blossoms. As it was, he kept his arms filled 
with them for awhile, but after a time he grew tired 


ON AN EXPLORING TOUR. 1 39 

carrying them, and was obliged to drop them by the 
roadside. 

The country looked as if it might have been very 
prosperous at one time. There were plantations laid 
out in excellent fashion, and the soil seemed rich and 
fertile. But instead of growing crops, and store- 
houses filled with spices and coffee, there was desola- 
tion everywhere, and it was easy to see that the 
Spaniards had determined to leave but little behind 
them for the Yankees. Every other farmhouse and 
wayside hut was deserted, their occupants having gone, 
apparently, to join Aguinaldo, and the whole country, 
outside the towns, seemed to be wholly deserted and 
left to grow up in weeds and tangled vines. 

The sun was warm, the sky was a perfect blue, and 
it seemed a delightful day in every way. But it made 
Archie sad to walk through a district which had been 
made so desolate, and he hadn’t walked many hours 
before he wished that he might soon reach a town, 
where he could find some life, and where he could 
remain overnight. For by the middle of the after- 
noon he was tired walking, and made up his mind 
that fifteen miles was enough for any one to do in one 
day. But he was obliged to keep on walking for two 
hours longer before he reached a village, and the 


140 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

great sun was just sinking behind the blue hills in 
the distance when he entered the one main village 
street, which was long and narrow, winding in and 
out among the cabins and huts, as if it had been laid 
out after the houses were built, for the convenience 
of the people. It was a poor excuse for a public 
thoroughfare. There had probably been a pavement 
of some sort at one time, but now the street was a 
mass of rubbish of every sort, straw, dust, old bricks, 
and bits of stone being thrown together in every rut, 
so that it was exceedingly difficult to walk along with 
any comfort. 

There was no life visible in the settlement. 
Almost every hut had its shades drawn at the win- 
dows, and there was absolutely no one to be seen in 
the street. As he passed down the road, Archie 
could catch occasional glimpses of black eyes staring 
at him through a lattice, or he could hear some mut- 
tered word as he walked close to a window. From 
these signs he knew that he was observed, and he felt 
very much embarrassed as he continued his walk down 
this deserted lane, for he felt instinctively now that 
hundreds of eyes were watching his every movement. 

Finally, he came to the public square, and he sat 
down here to look about him. From general appear- 


SEIZED BY THE REBELS. I41 

ances, he judged this to be a town of some two thou- 
sand inhabitants, for there was a very respectable 
administration building, and a good-sized church. 
There were but two streets of any consequence, the 
one by which he had entered the town, and another 
running at right angles in the opposite direction. In 
this latter street, as he stood in the square, he noticed 
a three-story structure with a sign outside, and he 
decided to go there and make inquiries as to where 
he might be able to secure a lodging for the night. 
It looked as if it might be an inn of some sort, or at 
least a store, so he walked rapidly, up to the entrance 
and knocked twice upon the door. This place, in 
spite of its sign, looked more deserted and shut-up 
than any other building he had yet seen in the town, 
and he wondered whether he would receive any an- 
swer to his knocks. It was indeed a long time before 
he heard a sound within, but at last there was some 
muttering inside, the door flew open, and Archie 
found himself in the arms of three Filipinos, who 
threw him upon the floor and bound him, hands and- 
and feet. It was all so sudden that he had no time 
to cry out, and before he could say anything at all he 
was thrown into a dark room, and the door shut 
behind him. 


CHAPTER XVI. 


A PLEASANT CAPTOR BRAVE BILL HICKSON 

ALLOWS ARCHIE TO ESCAPE FIRST GLIMPSE 

OF AGUINALDO. 

For a long time Archie lay still upon the floor, 
being unable to move a muscle from the shock of his 
encounter with the men, and because he was tightly 
bound with ropes. And then he at last went off to 
sleep, feeling frightened because he was in the hands 
of strange men, and a little satisfied, too, because he 
was the victim of some adventure which might turn 
out in a very interesting way. 

When he awoke, it was morning, and the light 
came into the room through two small square win- 
dows, set high up in the wall. Archie looked about 
the room with great curiosity, but found little there 
to interest him. There was nothing to be seen but 
an old bed without spring or mattress, and a rickety 
chair with but three legs, which stood in one corner. 
The walls, he was surprised to observe, were hand- 

142 


A PLEASANT CAPTOR. 


143 


somely decorated with tapestries, and Archie at once 
made up his mind that this had at one time been a 
private dwelling-house, and had probably been owned 
by some rich Spaniard who kept a store on the 
ground floor, and lived in these rooms. The insur- 
gents had probably driven the family out of the 
country and had taken possession of the house, 
which they had stripped of everything useful, leav- 
ing the tapestries and works of art behind them. 

These suppositions were cut short by the entrance 
of a man who appeared to be a half-breed, and who 
immediately began to speak to Archie in broken Eng- 
lish. The fellow had a pleasant face, and presented a 
fairly good appearance, and Archie wondered how he 
could have come to this place. I suppose you have 
been wondering,” said the man, why you have been 
thrown into this room, and it won’t take me long to 
explain things. You see this town belongs to us just 
now, and we don’t propose to have any Yankee spies 
around here to tell Otis of our whereabouts. There 
ain’t no troops in this town now, but there’s likely to 
be any minute, and we patriots was sent here to take 
possession of things and arrange quarters for our 
army. Let me tell you that the Filipino army will 
be in this town to-day, and if you don’t look sharp 


144 ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

you’ll be the first prisoner to be shot. Aguinaldo 
isn’t a man to deal easily with spies, and if he 
thought you was out here for that purpose he’d 
have you riddled with bullets in a minute.” The 
man came up to Archie and began to undo the 
ropes. “I reckon I can trust you free for awhile, 
for there’s no use in your trying to get away, with 
the Filipino army all around the town. Sit down 
there now, and I’ll see that you get some breakfast. 
You can tell, perhaps, that I ain’t no Filipino, nor 
never was one. I’m from Arizona, U. S. A., and 
I’m fightin’ with these rebels for what there is in it 
just now. I’m mighty curious to find out how you 
come to be out in these diggin’s, youngster.” 

Archie was willing enough to tell all about himself. 
He liked this man, in spite of his being with the 
rebels, and he felt that he would be able to make 
friends with him if he were careful to do so. And 
the best plan seemed to be for him to tell all about 
himself, how he happened to go to New York, and 
how he had been sent out here as a boy correspond- 
ent for the Enterprise. The man from Arizona 
listened to the recital with open mouth and eyes, and 
he frequently laughed outright at some of the expe- 
riences Archie described. When the narrative was 


A PLEASANT CAPTOR, 


145 


finished, he seized Archie’s hand, and said, <‘My 
name’s Bill Hickson, and you can count on me after 
this fer a friend, youngster. I’ll swan if I ever heard 
tell of sich nerve in my life. I’ll see that you get 
out of this scrape all right, but you must be careful 
to keep up appearances of being under guard. I’m a 
big-bug in this Filipino shack, but I wouldn’t dare to 
let you out openly. So you jist kind of lay around 
and look despondent, and depend on me to make 
things as easy for you as I can. You kin come 
down-stairs now, if you like, and I’ll present you to 
my friends. . There don’t none of ’em speak no Eng- 
lish but me, and all I can do is to interduce you, and 
tell ’em that you ain’t no spy, and that you are very 
sorry you ever ran up agin this here town. And I 
guess I’ll be expressin’ your sentiments exactly, won’t 
I ” Archie nodded, but in his heart he felt that he 
wasn’t sorry he had run up against the town. This 
Bill Hickson, in himself, was a character worth going 
miles to meet, and if what he said was true, Archie 
stood a good chance of seeing the notorious Agui- 
naldo, with his army of Filipinos, before the day 
was over. 

When he reached the lower floor, he found several 
men lounging about in another poorly furnished room, 


146 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

and they were all similar in appearance to the men 
he had seen at the door the night before. They 
looked at him in an indifferent way, and didn’t seem 
surprised that he should be walking about without 
restraint. Bill Hickson stepped up to some of them, 
and, after a few words in some language Archie 
didn’t understand, motioned for the boy to step up. 
He was told to shake hands with “all the gents,” 
and after he had done so he was offered a cigar, and 
Archie began to realise that it was' a very good thing 
that he had a friend at the Filipino court. He 
thought, too, that if these men were samples, Agui- 
naldo had a very poor lot of retainers, and later on he 
perceived the real cause for the failure of the rebels 
to do anything more than keep up a constant retreat. 
It was plain to see that the followers of the rebel 
leader were “ in it for what it was worth.” They had 
no difficulty, any of them, in getting enough to eat, 
and often they had opportunities to enjoy themselves 
in great fashion by taking possession of some Filipino 
village and ejecting the inmates of some particularly 
fine house, with a well-stocked wine-cellar. 

In looking out of the window Archie perceived that 
the town looked very different this morning than 
when he saw it the evening before. Instead of 


FIRST GLIMPSE OF AGUINALDO. 


147 


drawn blinds and shuttered windows, there was every- 
where an evident attempt at decoration in honour of 
the coming army. The streets were crowded with 
a throng in holiday garb, and some of the soldiers of 
the rebel army had already arrived, as they could be 
easily distinguished by their ragged dress and ridicu- 
lous airs, walking up and down the street. It was 
all such a scene as Archie had never seen before, 
and would have made a great success as the scenario 
for a comic opera. But as a welcome to an army, 
supposedly victorious, it was a dismal failure, and 
Archie wondered what General Aguinaldo would 
think when he entered the town and saw such shoddy 
patriotism everywhere. He hadn’t long to wait, 
however, before seeing the famous rebel and the 
effect upon him of the celebration in his honour. It 
was about ten o’clock in the morning when he rode, 
into the public square, followed by about two hundred 
ragged Filipinos, armed with all sorts of guns and 
pistols. Archie saw the arrival from the roof of the 
building which was his mock prison, and he could 
scarcely refrain from laughing outright when he saw 
the boasted Filipino ‘^army.” It was the poorest 
excuse for a body of troops that he could imagine. 

Aguinaldo rode a fine bay horse, as did several of 


148 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

his followers, but by far the majority of the regi- 
ment, if such it could be called, was afoot, and most 
of them were barefooted, too. The rebel leader 
looked very much like most of his pictures, with 
the exception that he had an older look, and some 
gray hairs about the temples. He was attired in a 
gaudy uniform of some sort, with epaulets and a 
Spanish general’s hat, and he carried himself with 
great dignity of manner. Dismounting from his 
horse, he entered the administration building, where 
he held a conference with the town officials, and 
probably made them pay over whatever money was 
in the treasury ‘‘for the cause.” He remained 
within for two hours or more, and all this time 
Archie stood upon the roof and watched the re- 
markable scene in the streets below. The troops 
had scattered, and were engaged in robbing the 
housewives of whatever they had in their houses 
to eat. And the women seemed willing to provide 
them with whatever they could afford, and there 
was much enthusiasm evident everywhere. But the 
celebration was very quiet, in spite of the friendly 
reception. There were no bands of music, no cheer- 
ing, and no singing of battle-hymns. The whole 
affair reminded Archie of some camp of a section of 


FIRST GLIMPSE OF AGUINALDO. 149 

the famous Coxey army, when he had seen it long 
ago. The soldiers were no better dressed than 
tramps, and there was but little more discipline 
among them. 

And the celebration and occupation of the town 
came to a sudden end. While Archie stood upon 
the roof at noontime, he saw a runner enter the 
administration building in great haste, and in a 
minute Aguinaldo came hurrying down the steps. 
Then there was a great commotion in the streets, 
and the two hundred followers of the chief were seen 
assembled in the square, and before they were all 
there the general was riding out of the town toward 
the interior of the island. There was no noise, and 
the inhabitants stood about apparently speechless, 
and wondering what had happened. Their reception 
had come to an untimely end, and their hero had 
left them unceremoniously. Soon the last of the 
straggling troops were out of the town, and just as 
Archie was beginning to think of going down from 
the roof Bill Hickson stuck his head up and gave 
him some astonishing news. Stay where you’re at, 
young feller, till these fool Filipinos gits away from 
here. You saw how they skedaddled, didn’t ye } 
Well, Uncle Sam is cornin’ after ’em with shot-guns. 


150 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

and old Aggy heard the news just in time. He is 
bound for the jungle, about forty miles southeast, 
and he won’t reach it until to-morrow night, anyhow, 
and if the officers are quick they may be able to 
catch him. Now you stay here, lad, and give ’em 
the news when they git here. They’ll thank you for 
it, and you may be the means of gittin’ this fool of 
an Aguinaldo captured. If you does, why, your 
future’s all right. And ye can tell the colonel, or 
whoever’s in command, that Bill. Hickson is still 
with ’em, and that he’s doin’ his best fer Uncle Sam, 
and tell ’em that Aggy has got about three thousand 
troops altogether, but only about a thousand with 
him. Now, good-bye, lad, and I hope I’ll see ye 
again.” 

And Archie saw brave Bill Hickson get down 
from the roof. He brushed some tears from his 
eyes as he realised that here was a brave soldier 
doing good work for his country. A moment later 
he saw him running across the square with four of 
the Filipinos, and waving his hat to the youngster” 
as he went. He followed him with his eyes as long 
as he could, and then he sat down and made a 
solemn vow that Bill Hickson should be named 
among the heroes of the war. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


ARRIVAL OF THE AMERICAN TROOPS ARCHIE THE 

HERO OF THE REGIMENT. 

Archie descended from the roof, and found every- 
thing below in a state of wild disorder. The fleeing 
rebels had taken with them all they had time to get 
together, but in their haste they had left behind 
many of their most useful belongings. In a cup- 
board of the dining-room Archie found a supply of 
food and wines sufficient to feed several people for a 
week, so he supposed that it had been the intention 
of the occupants of the house to remain for some 
days. The news that the Americans were coming 
upset all their plans, however, and now, as often 
before, they were obliged to flee before them, leaving 
behind most of their creature comforts in the way of 
food and furniture. 

*‘What a life they must be leading,” thought 
Archie to himself, “going from one place to an- 
other, constantly endeavouring to hide from the 


5 


152 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

Americans. Now in some town, now in the wil- 
derness, and again venturing as near as possible to 
the boundaries of Manila.” And he could scarcely 
help admiring their courage, or recklessness, rather, 
in camping so near the head of the American gov- 
ernment, where they might expect to be caught in a 
trap at any moment. But Archie realised, too, that 
such an army can get away in a very short time, and 
he began to have serious doubts as to whether the 
Americans would ever be able to capture Aguinaldo 
and his men. For knowing the islands perfectly, and 
being able to get from one point to another in the 
easiest and quickest way, the rebels have a great deal 
in their favour. 

Selecting some canned beef and some native bread 
and cheese, Archie managed to make a very good 
meal for himself, though he ate hurriedly for fear 
some of the rebels might return. As soon as he had 
finished he returned to his position on the roof, for 
there he knew that he would be safe in' case the 
building was entered by the townspeople. From his 
high perch he looked down into the streets, and was 
surprised to find them as quiet and as much deserted 
as they had been the night before. The news of the 
coming of the Americans had been effective in quiet- 


ARRIVAL OF TROOPS. 


153 


ing the enthusiasm of the morning, and all the towns- 
folk had again entered their homes and put the 
shutters up before their windows. One would have 
taken the place for a deserted village, judging from 
appearances. But Archie knew that within the shut- 
tered windows and barred doors there were hundreds 
of people waiting anxiously for the arrival of the 
American troops, and making ready to come out, 
when required to do so, and again declare their 
allegiance to the stars and stripes. The cowardly 
wretches were diplomatic enough to be always on 
the side of the victorious. When the rebels occupied 
the town they were loyal to them, and when the 
Americans came, as they often did, they came out 
into the square and cheered loudly for Uncle Sam. 
But of course the Americans knew very well that 
their sympathies were with the rebels, and the rebels 
knew it, too, or they would never have dared to 
venture so near Manila. 

About five in the afternoon, there was a sound of 
many men marching along the road, and in a little 
while Archie was able to see the Americans coming 
down the street. It was a sight to cheer his heart 
after all his experiences of the last day and night. 
The column was marching at double-quick, and the 


154 the adventures of a boy reporter, 

handsome colonel rode a great gray horse at the head 
of the regiment. Archie saw that they would reach 
the square in two or three minutes, and, throwing dis- 
cretion to the winds, he descended from the roof, al- 
most fell down the stairways in his haste, and was 
soon running toward the administration building. He 
mounted the great steps leading up to the portico, 
just as the colonel rode into the square, and the 
expression of surprise on the faces of all the men 
was funny to see. In a minute every hat was off, 
and the regiment was giving ‘Hhree cheers for the 
boy reporter,” while the colonel, rapidly dismounting, 
hurried up to speak with Archie. 

<< Why, how did you come here ? ” he demanded. 
“ Haven’t the rebels been here, and how did you 
escape them ? Which way did they go, and was 
Aguinaldo with them ? For pity’s sake, say some- 
thing.” 

Archie wasn’t long explaining things, and his news 
was so explicit and so valuable that the colonel 
grasped his hand and said, almost with tears in his 
eyes, God bless you, lad. You may have aided us 
to catch the gang, and anyhow you’ve proved your 
bravery.” 

By this time the regiment was standing at ease. 


HERO OF THE REGIMENT. 155 

and all the men were watching Archie and the 
colonel with great interest. Knowing that they 
were all curious to learn how the lad happened to 
have escaped the rebels, the good colonel made a 
short speech in which he explained everything. He 
dwelt particularly upon the bravery of Bill Hickson, 
and held him up as a model for all the men to follow. 
‘‘And now three cheers for Bill Hickson and our 
boy reporter again,” he cried, when he had finished, 
and they were given with a will by all the men. 

The regimental officers held a short consultation, 
and it was decided, on the strength of the news 
brought by Archie, to push on after the rebels as 
fast as was possible. But it was now sunset, and 
there was no use trying to go farther to-night, so 
it was agreed that the best plan would be to give 
the men a good rest overnight, as they had made the 
entire march from Manila since five o’clock in the 
morning. “ They will do all the better to-morrow 
for the rest,” said the colonel. Archie was valuable 
in being able to guide the officers to the building 
where he had been confined, assuring them that they 
would find everything needful there in the way of 
food, and a place to sleep. Some of the soldiers 
were quartered in various houses of the town, for 


156 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

the people had soon turned out into the street 
again, and had expressed their friendship for their 
“masters,” as they called them. Archie could 
hardly refrain from laughing as he saw some of 
those who in the morning had bowed down to 
Aguinaldo vowing everlasting allegiance to our flag, 
and he assured the colonel that he couldn’t be too 
careful while in the town to guard against surprises. 
“No one knows the beasts better than I do,” was 
the answer. “I know they can’t be trusted.” 

Archie was invited to remain in the building with 
the officers, and while they prepared and ate a lunch 
he busied himself in writing a description of his last 
two days’ experiences. He knew that a messenger 
would soon start for Manila, and that a boat would 
leave that city on the next day for Hong Kong, so 
he wanted to get his narrative written in order to 
send it to Mr. Van Bunting at once. He felt that 
he had some very interesting things to write about, 
for it wasn’t every correspondent who had seen 
Aguinaldo, and had been captured by the rebel 
army. He knew that most of them were content to 
remain in Manila, and send only what they could get 
from the general in command, and that this descrip- 
tion of the rebels would be something new, at any 


HERO OF THE REGIMENT. 1 57 

rate. So he wrote it very carefully, and succeeded in 
getting it ready in time to send, so that it would be 
in the office of the Enterprise in less than a month. 
As he sat at the table writing, Archie thought of the 
great changes which can take place in one’s sur- 
roundings in a few weeks. It seemed ages to him 
since the day when he left home for the first time, 
and the experiences he had on his way to New 
York seemed now to belong to the far-away period 
of his boyhood. He was beginning to feel very 
old now, because he had been through so much of 
late, and he could hardly realise that he was still 
eighteen. 

He wrote a short note to his mother at home, tell- 
ing her not to worry, and assuring her that he was in 
good health and in no danger whatever of being cap- 
tured by the rebels, for Archie felt quite safe after 
his experience with the insurgent leaders. He knew 
that no one of their prisoners was ever likely to come 
to a very bad end. They were far too slipshod in 
their methods of holding prisoners. He was sorry 
not to be able to send a longer letter home, but he 
knew that this note was much better than sending 
nothing at all, and that it would make his mother 
very happy to hear from him at all. 


158 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

The officers, when Archie returned to the dining- 
room, if such it could be called, were engaged in 
making a very good meal from the provisions in 
the cupboard, and they thanked Archie warmly for 
leading them to such a good place. ‘‘By Jove,” said 
one of the captains, “we sha’n’t want to return to 
Manila at all, when we can get such grub as this is 
outside.” But the colonel assured them all that they 
needn’t expect to find such accommodations every- 
where in the interior of the country. “No doubt 
we’ll all be living on plantains in a day or two, if 
we don’t catch that fox of an Aguinaldo. And I’m 
willin’ to bet now that we won’t find him. That 
feller’s too slick for us. He’s proved it many a time 
before.” 

“ And to think that he was here only this morning ! 
The nerve of him, to come within twenty-five miles 
of Manila ! ” said another. 

“ I’ll be mighty well satisfied if we can catch a few 
of his ragged men,” continued the colonel. “That 
will be something to have accomplished, anyhow, and 
more than some other regiments have done, when 
they were sent after him. He’s the cutest feller 
I’ve heard of in a long while. If it wasn’t for Bill 
Hickson we’d never hear tell of him, even. He 


HERO OF THE REGIMENT. 1 59 

could enter Manila, I believe, and go out again 
without us ever knowin’ it at all.” 

Archie was now called on to tell something of 
the rebel leader’s appearance, and how he had acted 
while in the town. 

“ I didn’t see very much of him,” said Archie, 
‘‘because he spent most of the morning with the big- 
bugs of the town, over in the administration building. 
But when he rode into town on his horse he looked 
mighty dignified, though he fell some in my estima- 
tion when I saw him standing up. He looked rather 
dumpy then. He carried himself with a lot of dignity, 
a little more than was becoming, I thought, and he re- 
ceived the cheers of the people as a matter of course, 
and hardly took the trouble to acknowledge them, 
even by a bow. The officers of the town treated him 
with great deference, and I guess there’s no doubt 
but what the Filipinos look upon him as their leader.” 

“Oh, there’s no doubt of that,” said the colonel. 
“ We’ve learned that long ago. They stand up for 
him whenever he needs them, and they give him all 
they’ve got to help carry on the war.” 

The meal finished, the officers smoked awhile, and 
then went to bed, for they were to be up at four in 
the morning. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


THE MARCH AFTER THE REBELS THE FIRST 

BATTLE ARCHIE WOUNDED. 

Archie was awakened at four the next morning 
by the sound of the bugle, and, hastily dressing, he 
hurried down-stairs to learn the plans of the officers. 
He found that they were going to start on the march 
as soon as the men had drunk their morning coffee, 
and Archie immediately made preparations to go 
with them. The colonel looked on in amazement. 
“ Why are you packing your knapsack ” he asked. 
‘‘You surely don’t think you’re going with us ? You 
never in the world can stand this hard march in the 
hot sun.” 

“ Oh, yes, I think I can,” said Archie. “ You see 
I have walked a great deal in these last two months, 
and I don’t think I will have any difficulty in keeping 
up with the troops. And I do so want to see some 
fighting, and to learn whether you capture Aguinaldo. 
You don’t object to my going, now, do you .? ” 
i6o 


AFTER THE REBELS. 


l6l 


“ No,” said the colonel. If you think you can 
stand the marching, and are so anxious to come, why, 
I suppose you can do so. But you mustn’t blame 
me if anything should happen to you.” 

Archie was ready enough to promise this, for he 
had no idea that he would meet with an accident of 
any kind, and so he continued to pack his things in 
the knapsack. The rebels had emptied everything in 
a corner, and had evidently intended taking the knap- 
sack with them when they went ; but they left so 
hurriedly they couldn’t possibly think of everything, 
and so had left it behind, much to Archie’s relief, for 
he would have been unable to secure another one 
anywhere outside Manila. In a very short time the 
regiment gathered in the streets immediately about 
the square, and soon the men were, marching out of 
the town, much to the gratification of the residents, 
who watched them from their roofs and windows. 
Archie fell in at the head of the column, and found 
no difficulty in keeping up with the soldiers near 
him, though they were marching at a rapid rate. 

The town limits were soon passed, and they swung 
into the white country road, which presented the 
same scene of desolation which had been everywhere 
visible to Archie on his way from Manila. The farm- 


i 62 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

houses were nearly all deserted, and there was but 
little attempt at cultivating the soil, which would 
have been productive enough had it not been over- 
grown with tangled vines and weeds. And as they 
went farther into the country the wilderness in- 
creased, until at last the road itself was filled with 
growing vines, and the men had difficulty in walking. 
Every little while some trooper would fall headlong, 
tripped by some vine, and the others would laugh- 
ingly help him up before passing on. These little 
incidents did much to enliven the march, which 
became monotonous after the first six or seven 
hours, and Archie appreciated the mishaps very 
much until he took a few tumbles himself. He 
was usually, much to the amusement of the officers, 
marching at the very head of the regiment, and 
“setting the pace,” he said, so that he was more 
likely to trip than any of the others. He was always 
the first to discover a snake in the road, too, and 
kept a great stick with which to kill them. He 
seemed to have no fear of them, but walked up to 
lay them out, and on one occasion the colonel warned 
him just in time or he would certainly have been 
bitten by a snake whose bite is certain death. This 
experience made him more careful, but he still kept 


AFTi:R The Rebels, 163 

his place at the head of the regiment, and came to 
be called the mascot by the men. 

At noon the regiment halted at a grassy spot, 
where there were trees, and made their dinners from 
their knapsacks. The officers warned them to go 
carefully, or they would find themselves without pro- 
visions before returning to Manila, for they had been 
so sure of catching the rebels at the town behind 
that they had neglected to bring along many supplies. 
Now, of course, they didn’t know how long it would 
take them to find them, — two days at least, and 
probably longer. 

Archie had stocked his knapsack with some food 
from the old headquarters in the town, so that he felt 
safe for a few days, at any rate. He ate carefully, 
however, and was careful not to waste anything, for 
he realised that he might be called upon to aid some 
of the soldiers before long. 

Dinner over, the regiment marched on again, for 
the officers now began to think that they had made 
a mistake in not pursuing the fleeing rebels the 
night before. They met several Spaniards, who told 
them that Aguinaldo had marched all night long 
without stopping, so that he was now at least thirty- 
six hours ahead of them, and some of the men began 


1 64 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

to be discouraged, saying that it was no use follow- 
ing him up with such a small force. Other regi- 
ments have tried to find him in this way, and none 
of them have succeeded,” said one of the privates to 
Archie. ‘‘ They keep us marching for three or four 
days, and finally they decide to return to Manila, 
without having found any trace of the rascal beyond 
hearing that he had passed this way or that.” 

The officers couldn’t depend upon what the natives 
told them of Aguinaldo’s movements, for, almost with- 
out exception, they were in his favour, and always lied 
to the Americans to try to throw them off the track. 
It was due to this that they proceeded very cautiously, 
and still, notwithstanding their extreme care, they 
found themselves, when night came on this first day, 
in a small village where no one had seen anything of 
the rebel army. There was no denying the fact that 
they were off the trail, and the colonel stormed about 
in a terrible way when he learned of their mistake. 
There was no use going back in the dark to hunt for 
a trail they had mistaken in the daylight, so the regi- 
ment remained in the village overnight. They were 
a lot of very discouraged men, and the officers were 
enraged at the mistake, for which there was no one 
but themselves to blame. 


AFTER THE REBELS, 


165 


Early in the morning they retraced their way, and 
started off in an opposite direction to the one taken 
yesterday. It seemed that this must certainly be the 
path taken by the rebels, but the regiment marched 
until nearly noon without seeing any signs of them. 
Then, when they had halted for dinner, the colonel 
decided to let the men rest while two companies 
were sent ahead to reconnoitre, and report as to 
whether there were any signs of men having passed 
this way. He was beginning to think that the whole 
affair would be a wild-goose chase, and he decided 
that, if these companies found nothing, the whole 
regiment would return to Manila forthwith, probably 
to be the laughing-stock of the army there. 

The remaining companies had nothing to do now 
but lay about on the soft grass, and rest. They 
were encamped in a stretch of grassy loam in the 
midst of what appeared to be a dense forest, and all 
about were evidences of the great fertility of the 
soil. The vegetation was so dense that one could 
scarcely see through it, and the glade was cool and 
pleasant, though overhead the sun was shining as 
warm as ever. It was a lovely oasis in a wilderness 
of undergrowth, and the men enjoyed it to the 
utmost. 


1 66 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 


About three in the afternoon the sound of firing 
was heard in the distance. First there was one shot, 
then another, and several more at rapid intervals. 
Archie was one of the first to jump to his feet, but 
in a second every man was at attention, with his 
musket in his hands. The colonel listened closely 
for two minutes, and then the firing began once 
more, and this time it seemed nearer. He hesitated 
no longer, but gave the order to march ahead. 
‘‘They’ve evidently found the cowards at last,” he 
muttered to Archie. “You stay here, where you 
will be out of danger.” But Archie was determined 
to do nothing of the kind. He felt his pistol safe in 
his hip pocket, and when the companies swung out 
of the forest and into the road he was marching in 
his old place at the head of the column. Again the 
colonel ordered him to remain behind, but Archie 
insisted that he would not. “ Then go to the rear,” 
cried the colonel, angry for the moment. “ I will not 
have you shot down by a rebel sharpshooter the 
very first one.” And Archie knew that he would 
have to obey. 

The column went ahead at double-quick, and 
finally broke into a steady run. Every minute the 
noise of rifle-shots sounded nearer, and it seemed 


THE FIRST BATTLE. 


167 


probable that the two companies were retreating 
before the insurgents. The men were wild to reach 
the scene of the firing, and the officers had all they 
could do to keep them in line. All the time they 
were running hardly a sound was heard save the 
noise of their boots upon the soft earth, and they all 
knew that they could probably take the insurgents 
by surprise. 

Archie’s heart was beating very hard as they drew 
nearer and nearer to the scene. He felt that he was 
about to see his first fighting, and he determined not 
to miss any part of it. So he gradually ran ahead 
until finally he was almost at the head of the column 
again. 

The troops made so little noise that the two com- 
panies, retreating slowly, were upon them without 
knowing it. But when they discovered that their 
comrades had come to their aid they set up such a 
cheering as Archie had never heard before, and 
immediately faced about and went ahead again. 
The rebels were about a quarter of a mile behind, 
marching rapidly forward, and firing as they came. 
Some of them were running among the trees at the 
roadside, firing incessantly, and hitting some poor 
soldier almost every time they fired. They were 


1 68 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 


the famous sharpshooters, of whom the soldiers in 
Manila had heard so much. 

When the rebels observed that the Americans had 
received reinforcements, they halted suddenly, and 
before they could turn about the Yankees were 
almost upon them, firing volleys into them as they 
came. Many of the insurgents fell in the roadway, 
and the others fled wildly in every direction. Most 
of them entered the dense forest, where the Ameri- 
cans captured nearly a hundred of them after the 
others had surrendered, and some were such good 
runners that they escaped down the roadway. The 
whole rebel army presented a scene of wild con- 
fusion. Some of the men knelt and begged for 
mercy, and some cried out in a horrible way as 
they saw the dreaded Yankees advancing. But it 
was all over very soon. The prisoners were placed 
in line, and marched back along the road, and the 
dead, of which there were about fifty, were soon 
buried. Aguinaldo had escaped in the forest, and 
no one suggested that he should be followed. All 
the officers knew that such a course would be use- 
less, and most of them were very well satisfied with 
what had already been accomplished. The prisoners 
numbered more than six hundred, and the dead a 



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THE FIRST BATTLE. 


171 

hundred more, while there were about seventy-five 
wounded. So if what Bill Hickson said were true, 
not more than two hundred insurgents could have 
escaped. 

Among the seriously wounded was a man whom 
Archie recognised immediately as one of his captors 
of two days previous, and while he was looking over 
the bodies for the other men, he came suddenly to 
brave Bill Hickson, lying face downward in the road. 
He almost screamed with fear that he might be dead, 
and when one of the men hurried up to him he told 
him who the man was. The colonel was soon on 
hand, and it was found that the brave spy was not 
seriously wounded, and would recover soon under 
proper treatment. 

When the insurgent wounded were cared for, it 
was discovered that the two companies sent out to 
reconnoitre had also suffered losses, and when they 
marched back along the line of their retreat no less 
than five dead and about twenty wounded were 
found. This sad news threw a gloom over the 
entire regiment, and when they started back to 
Manila they marched in quiet, and without rejoicing 
over their victory, which had proved so costly. 

Poor Archie, when they started to march, found. 


1/2 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

to his great disgust, that he was so weak he couldn’t 
walk far, and he thought this must be due to the 
fright he had received. He was very angry with 
himself, until the surgeon examined him and an- 
nounced that he had a bullet in his arm. And then 
Archie confessed that he had felt a stinging sensa- 
tion at one time during the firing, but had thought 
nothing of it. Now his disgust was turned to great 
delight, for the idea of being wounded in battle was 
glorious to his mind. I’ll bet I wounded more 
than one insurgent,” he told the surgeon, “for I 
discharged every barrel of my revolver.” The 
wound was not at all serious, but he was told to be 
quiet for a few days. He was given one of the rebel 
horses to ride back to Manila, and he felt like a real 
hero in many ways. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


RETURN TO MANILA IN THE HOSPITAL CON- 
GRATULATED BY ALL WRITING TO THE PAPER 

OF HIS EXPERIENCES. 

It took the regiment much longer to march back 
to Manila than it had taken it to follow the rebels, 
for the wounded of both sides had to be carried, and 
the arrangements for carrying them were very im- 
perfect. Fortunately, most of them were able to 
ride horses, and the officers were successful in secur- 
ing wagons enough to carry most of the others, but 
there were about a dozen who could neither ride 
horses or lie in wagons, but had to be carried on 
stretchers all the time. Of course this was slow 
work, and the officers were glad enough when they 
reached the town with the three-story building. 
Here they found things very much as they had left 
them, two days before, save that the inhabitants 
were more abject than ever to them, now that they 
had captured most of the rebel force. 


173 


174 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

It wasn’t an easy matter to find quarters for so 
many men, and some of the Filipinos were obliged to 
camp in the public square overnight, while the 
wounded and ill were given beds in the various 
houses of the town. The inhabitants were required 
to furnish food, too, for the Americans were entirely 
out of almost everything. They still had some hard- 
tack, but of meat and coffee there was none. The 
people of the town pretended to be very glad to 
serve their ‘‘masters,” but every one knew that the 
natives would be only too glad of a chance to cut 
the throat of every Yankee soldier. 

The officers again occupied the old building which 
they had used during their former stay, and Archie 
was invited to share it with them, for they expected 
to rest in this town over the next day, before pro- 
ceeding to Manila. The men’s uniforms and equip- 
ment generally needed cleaning and repairing, and 
the colonel was anxious for them all to appear as 
well as possible when they returned victorious to the 
island capital. So the next day was spent in clean- 
ing and washing, and by evening most of the soldiers 
looked as if they had never left Manila. Then came 
a surprise for every one, for into the town marched a 
regiment of militia from Manila, sent out to see 


RETURN TO MANILA. 


175 


whether the first regiment needed reinforcements. 
They set up a great cheer when they learned that 
most of the rebel force had been captured, and the 
night was spent in a celebration of the great event. 
A band was scraped up in the town, the great hall of 
the administration building was thrown open, and 
there was dancing and music until an early hour in 
the morning. All the belles of the town turned out 
to welcome the soldiers, hypocrites that they were, 
and they danced with their enemies as readily as 
they would waltz with their own dear Filipinos. 
Every one seemed to have a good time, and the sol- 
diers went to bed just in time to get three hours’ 
sleep before starting for Manila in the morning. 

It was a great sight to see the two regiments, with 
the prisoners, march out of the town at five the next 
morning. They made a fine appearance in their well- 
brushed uniforms and bright equipment. The towns- 
folk watched them out of sight, and then most likely 
cursed them for a lot of vagabonds, but the soldiers 
didn’t mind their curses. They were all very happy at 
the prospect of getting back to Manila again, and no 
one was more glad than Archie. He had somewhat 
recovered from his wound now, and rode in his old 
place at the head of the column, where he was the 


1/6 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

centre of interest to every one. The men congratu- 
lated him on having proved such an excellent mascot, 
and he laughed and talked with them' until he was 
tired. 

The outskirts of the city were reached about five 
in the afternoon, and as they marched through the 
streets to headquarters a band of music preceded 
them, playing popular and patriotic airs. The side- 
walks were crowded with people, and Archie felt 
happier than for a long time, because every one was 
curious to know who that boy could be riding at the 
head of the troops, alongside the colonel. He was 
known to most of the other troops in Manila, and 
received many a cheer from them as they saw his 
arm in a sling, and when they finally reached the 
general’s headquarters, he was honoured with a 
handshake and the congratulations of the com- 
mander himself. This was the climax to a very 
happy day, and Archie went to bed in his little old 
bunk feeling that he was a very lucky boy for having 
been wounded in battle. 

Of course the next few days were very busy ones 
for all the men, and for Archie, too. He was obliged 
to tell, over and over, the story of his experiences, and 
how he had managed to escape from the rebels when 


WRITING TO THE PARER. 1 77 

they had him. This story always made the men 
roar with laughter, and increased their already strong 
contempt for the Filipino army. He told, too, about 
brave Bill Hickson, and that gentleman’s cot was 
always the centre of an admiring throng of visitors, 
who shook his hand and told him how proud they 
were of what he had accomplished. And all the poor 
hero could do was to smile feebly, for he was still too 
ill to talk much. 

Archie felt that he had almost volumes to write 
about his experiences in battle, and he did send a 
very long account of this encounter to Mr. Van 
Bunting. It was written in his boyish way, but one 
of the officers who read it said that it was the best 
thing of its kind he had ever read, so he wasn’t at all 
backward about mailing it. All the other newspaper 
correspondents in Manila were wishing they had gone 
with the regiment and witnessed the battle, but they 
had stayed in Manila, thinking that this would be 
like the other expeditions of the kind, a mere wild- 
goose chase, which wouldn’t amount to anything at 
all. They were all very anxious to get the details of 
the affair from Archie, but he was shrewd enough not 
to tell them anything of value. And the other cor- 
respondent of the Enterprise in Manila insisted that 


1/8 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

Archie should send a cable message describing the 
affair, as well as a written account, and this he finally 
consented to do. The correspondent added a long 
account of Archie’s personal bravery, how he had 
been wounded, and how he had ridden back to 
Manila at the head of the column. Archie would 
have been very much embarrassed had he known this, 
for he was still modest, but the first thing he knew 
of it was from a letter he received a few weeks later 
from Mr. Van Bunting, congratulating him on what 
he had accomplished, and telling him that he had 
long since more than earned his six hundred dollars. 
But for weeks he was ignorant that any one in New 
York knew of his being wounded. 

The days now began to pass as before in the camp 
at Manila. The wound in Archie’s arm was healing 
slowly, but he was hardly able to use that member 
for a month or six weeks. Bill Hickson did not fare 
so well. He lay for weeks on his cot in the hospital 
building, and was hardly strong enough, for awhile, 
to talk. He was improving slowly, but the doctors 
said it might be two months before he was able to 
walk about and take his former active part in the 
campaign against the insurgents. This enforced 
quiet was very trying to the brave man, and Archie 


WRITING TO THE PAPER. 1 79 

spent many hours reading to him, and telling of vari- 
ous things he had learned at school and elsewhere. 
This constant companionship served to strengthen 
their already close friendship, and it was soon 
known among all the troops that Bill Hickson and 
the boy reporter were inseparable. And every one 
who knew the story of their experiences looked 
upon them as the two chief heroes of the war so 
far,, because as yet there had been few feats of 
bravery in 'the desultory campaigning against the 
rebels. General Funston had swum the river, of 
course, but many held that not even that feat com- 
pared with the bravery of Bill Hickson in serving as a 
spy under Aguinaldo’s very nose. The more people 
heard about his experiences, the more remarkable 
they thought him to be, until at last he was by far 
the most popular man in the army at Manila. 

Archie sent many interesting letters to Mr. Van 
Bunting, telling of the adventures of the brave spy, 
and one day he received a cablegram telling him to 
send at least one of these letters by every steamer, 
for people had become interested in hearing about 
him. So for some time Archie wrote about Bill 
Hickson rather than about himself, and was glad of 
the opportunity to do so. He knew that if a letter 


l8o THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 


were published every week or two in the Enterprise 
Bill Hickson would soon be famous, and this was 
something he was very anxious to accomplish. He 
felt that no fame could be too great for such a 
man, and no praise too strong. 

The commanding general decided, about this time, 
to begin a more active campaign against the insur- 
gents. It was now the month of December, and 
with the beginning of the new year he wanted to 
inaugurate a series of attacks against them in every 
part of the islands. He was beginning to feel the criti- 
cisms of the papers at home, and of the newspaper 
men at Manila, and he felt that something must be 
done immediately to retrieve his lost reputation for 
active fighting. Every one, as soon as this announce- 
ment was made, wondered what plan would be pur- 
sued to worry the rebels into submission, for it was 
now generally agreed that the Americans would 
hardly be able to capture the whole rebel army. 
It was too evident that they were familiar with 
numerous hiding-places in the islands. The only 
thing to do seemed to be to prevent their getting 
supplies, and to drive them from one point to 
another, hoping that they would become discour- 
aged in the end and submit to the inevitable. 


WRITING TO THE RARER. I Si 

So far the campaigning had consisted chiefly of 
such expeditions as that accompanied by Archie, and 
most of these had returned to Manila without having 
even seen a rebel soldier. It was not surprising, 
then, that the general was becoming discouraged, 
and that he was anxious to try a new policy. 

No one knew what the new plan would be until 
one day several cruisers and gunboats made their 
appearance in the harbour. There had been no war- 
ships at Manila for several weeks, and every one was 
surprised that §o many should arrive at once. There 
were rumours of a German onslaught, and also gossip 
saying that Japan had decided to interfere, but all 
these were set at naught when the general an- 
nounced that the war-ships were to be sent around 
the islands to bombard the rebel villages, and to 
drive the rebel troops to the interior of the 
islands, where it would be hard for them to re- 
ceive supplies. 

This news made Archie very happy, and a plan at 
once occurred to him. Why shouldn’t he and Bill 
Hickson be allowed aboard a cruiser.? It would 
be the best thing possible for their health, and he 
set about getting the necessary permit from the 
admiral. 


1 82 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

Bill Hickson was able to be about now, and he 
was overjoyed when Archie said he thought they 
could arrange to go. Td like nothing better than 
a voyage in the good salt air. I believe it will do 
me more good than a month in the hospital,” he 
said. Archie secured a very strong letter from the 
general, and one day he stepped aboard the flag-ship 
in the harbour. He had no difficulty in seeing the 
admiral, and found him to be a very pleasant man to 
talk with. He read the letter carefully, and then 
shook Archie cordially by the hand. “Yes,” he 
said, “ Fve heard of you, and of your friend, too. 
Every one in Hong Kong knows how you two to- 
gether bearded old Aguinaldo in his den, and robbed 
him of most of his troops. It did me good to read 
about it in the New York papers, too, and to know 
that you are both getting your just measure of credit 
for the achievement.” 

Archie blushed, and assured the admiral that he 
didn’t do very much, that it was all owing to Bill 
Hickson’s bravery. “ Oh, yes, I know,” laughed the 
admiral, “ you lay it to him, and he will most likely 
give you the credit. I’ve seen your kind before. 
But I like you all the better for your modesty, lad. 
Of course you and your friend can have a berth 


WRITING TO THE PAPER. 1 83 

aboard ship, and aboard the flag-ship, too, where I 
can see you both very often. You can come aboard 
whenever you wish, and stay as long as you like.” 

Archie could hardly thank the good officer for his 
kindness, and hurried back to Manila. He found 
Bill Hickson waiting for him at the wharf, and they 
rejoiced together over the good news. 


CHAPTER XX. 


AROUND THE ISLAND ON A WAR - SHIP BOMBARDING 

A FILIPINO TOWN. 

It was early one morning that Bill Hickson and 
Archie went aboard the flag-ship, but all hands were 
on duty there, and the gallant cruiser was raising 
anchor preparatory to sailing off on her errand of 
pacification by means of shell and shot. The two 
newcomers were assigned a pleasant stateroom where 
they would not be far from the cabin of the admiral 
himself, and where they could step out of their door 
upon the quarter-deck, and get all the fresh air they 
needed. It was a very comfortable place, with two 
soft bunks, and every convenience usually found 
aboard the fastest ocean liner. When the fellows 
saw it first, they could hardly believe it could all be 
for them, but the officer assured them that it had 
been given them by the admiral’s own orders. So 
there was nothing for them to do but accept. the 
kindness, and to settle themselves down to having 
184 


ON A WAR-SHIP. 185 

just as pleasant a time as possible during the coming 
weeks at sea. 

It was generally understood that the cruiser was 
to make a complete tour around the island of Luzon, 
investigating every suspicious port, and shelling 
towns when such action proved necessary to con- 
vince the rebels of Uncle Sam’s superiority. The 
voyage was expected to occupy nearly a month, for 
there was no reason for them to hurry, and the admi- 
ral said he would like to take things easy. 

Neither Hickson nor Archie had ever before been 
aboard a war-ship, and they both found much to 
interest them during the first few days at sea. 
Every movement of the crew, every action of the 
ship, was of great moment to them, and they found 
no lack of entertainment in examining the great guns 
and the equipment of the vessel in the way of fire- 
arms and ammunition. Archie became much inter- 
ested, too, in the science of navigation, and spent 
much time with the captain on the bridge, or with 
the pilot in the lookout, learning as much as possible 
about how the movement of the vessel is controlled. 
Before long he had mastered the rudiments of the 
art, and the captain told him that he might some 
day make an excellent navigator if he continued to 


1 86 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 


take as much interest in the charts as he did now. 
And Archie told him that he was determined to 
master as much as possible of the business during 
the voyage. Before he returned to Manila he knew 
more about it all than even the captain would believe 
he knew, and the knowledge was very valuable to 
him in days to come. 

The two visitors aboard took their meals at the 
officers’ table, and they kept the whole party inter- 
ested for many days, with their stories of the war in 
Luzon and of their very unusual adventures both at 
home and in the Philippines. For it turned out that 
Bill Hickson had visited almost every part of the 
United States, and had lived in all sorts of places. 
He had been a cowboy in Texas, and a miner in 
the Klondike, and he had also been a policeman in 
Chicago. He knew more stories to tell than any 
other man at the table could think of, and he told 
them in a way that was wholly charming. 

Archie found that every one was very much inter- 
ested in hearing about his leaving home, and how he 
had happened to become a reporter on the New York 
Enterprise. No one seemed to tire of listening to 
his stories of his adventures in the great American 
city, and many of the officers told him that they 


ON A WAR -SHIP. 187 

would give a good deal to have had his experiences 
in life. 

And so it wasn’t long until the two chums were 
friendly with all on board, and after awhile things 
went along as though Archie and Bill had never 
lived elsewhere than aboard ship. There was noth- 
ing exciting for nearly a week. The cruiser steamed 
slowly along the shore, sometimes stopping entirely, 
while the officers levelled their glasses upon the 
beach, to see whether there were any signs of the 
rebels being there. Sometimes, if things looked sus- 
picious, parties were sent ashore to reconnoitre, but 
they seldom returned with news that would encour- 
age the admiral to investigate further. The days 
passed quietly, and the two convalescents enjoyed 
themselves well enough. They were both much 
improved already by the trip, and felt almost as 
well as ever. They each had a steamer chair, and 
hour after hour they sat upon the deck and watched 
the ever-changing panorama of the tropical shore. 
Now the beach would descend slowly to the sea, and 
there would be numerous palm-trees and luxuriant 
vegetation growing close within view, but again there 
would be steep cliffs, which looked menacing to a 
ship in the dark. But it was all beautiful, cliffs or 


1 88 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 


sandy beach, and Archie thought he had seldom 
passed such a wholly delightful week. 

But, of course, it all became monotonous in time, 
and every one, even the officers, longed for a change. 
The reconnoitring parties were sent out more fre- 
quently now, and every one hoped each time that they 
would return with news of the rebels, but they were 
always disappointed. The admiral now determined 
to steam ahead more rapidly, so that they might get 
around the western end of the island. It was evi- 
dent that there were no insurgents along this shore, 
and as there were no villages of any consequence, 
either, he was anxious to reach the southern shore, 
where it was known the rebels had recently been 
gathering. The towns, too, were very numerous 
here on account of the excellent fishing, and it was 
hoped that some good work might be accomplished 
for Uncle Sam before another week passed. 

Subsequent events soon proved the wisdom of the 
admiral’s plan. The cruiser, it seemed, had no sooner 
rounded the western point than signs were visible of 
rebel activity ashore. It was one Tuesday morning 
that a village was sighted, built around a narrow inlet 
of the sea. When the binoculars were levelled upon 
this harmless-appearing settlement, it was soon per- 


ON A WAR- SHIP. 189 

ceived by the admiral that there were soldiers in the 
streets with the rebel uniform, and that the insurgent 
flag was flying from the administration building in 
the village square. All this was just what had been 
expected, and there was great rejoicing aboard the 
cruiser. Every man, without exception, almost, was 
anxious to be one of a party to be sent ashore to 
attack the rebels, but the admiral hesitated before 
sending any one at all. “It is impossible to tell from 
here,” he said, “how numerous the rebels are, and it 
is quite possible that they may have a large force of 
men in the village. If the appearance of the streets 
is any sign, there must be quite a force of them in 
the place.” But every one laughed at the very idea 
of there being a rebel company of any consequence 
in the place, and the admiral was finally prevailed 
upon to send a boat ashore, armed with thirty men. 

“Remember,” he said, “if you come to grief, that 
I advised against this venture. Don’t be too bold, or 
risk too much, for though I can shell the place, that 
won’t help you any, once you are captives.” 

But every one was anxious to be one of the party 
in the boat, and the officers had a hard time making 
selections. “ You can go, Archie, because you’re a 
correspondent,” said the captain, “and you can go. 


190 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

Mr. Hickson, because you’re a brave man,” and then 
he continued to pick out men until the required 
number was secured. Of course there were many 
disappointed ones left aboard the cruiser, but the 
captain assured them that they might have their 
chance yet. 

The boat was soon off, and it was noticed that 
there was great excitement ashore as soon as the 
departure was observed. All the inhabitants, it 
seemed, were gathered upon the beach, anxiously 
awaiting developments. They seemed to be abso- 
lutely ignorant of what the presence of a war-ship in 
their harbour meant, and were apparently not at all 
anxious as to the outcome of this visit. One of the 
men told Archie that they had probably never seen 
a war-ship before, and that they wouldn’t know a 
cannon at all. “ But we’ll let them know the mean- 
ing of our presence,” declared the sailor, “if they 
shoot at us.” The boat drew every minute nearer 
the shore, and it was soon perceived that there 
were many soldiers among the crowd on the beach. 
Every one thought it remarkable that they should be 
so quiet, but not one of the natives made a move 
until the boat was within two hundred feet of the 
shore. Then one of the rebel soldiers suddenly 


BOMBARDING A TOWN. I9I 

raised his rifle and fired at the boat. The lieutenant 
in command stood up in the boat and gave the order 
to return the fire, and a perfect volley of shot was 
poured into the crowd, which immediately scattered 
in every direction. The rebel soldiers, however, 
seemed determined to stand their ground, and they 
were so numerous, and kept up such a steady fire, 
that it was deemed best to return to the cruiser, 
which was signalling for this action on their part. 
So the boat was turned about as quickly as possible, 
and the sailors pulled for the cruiser, amid the deri- 
sive yells of the Filipinos, who had gathered again 
upon the beach. The rebel soldiers continued their 
firing, but were such poor marksmen that but three 
of their shots took effect. One sailor was shot in 
the arm, another in the side, and still another was 
shot in the leg as he stood up to take aim at the 
rebels. None of these wounds, it was afterward 
discovered, were at all serious, though they were 
enough to arouse the anger of the entire crew. 

When the boat reached the cruiser again, prepara- 
tions were at once begun for bombarding the town. 
The natives still stood upon the shore, and it could 
be seen that they were immensely proud of their 
present victory. It was amusing, then, to see the 


192 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

change in their behaviour when the great six-inch 
gun of the cruiser belched forth a cloud of fire and 
smoke, and a burning shell landed in the village 
street, apparently just in front of the administration 
building, which was soon afire. The poor natives 
fled in every direction, and the rebel soldiers followed 
their noble example, and took to their heels, too. 
Another shell followed the first, and soon several 
buildings were burning in the village. The admiral 
watched developments carefully, and finally he de- 
cided that they would be glad to surrender the 
village if another boat was sent ashore. 

Accordingly, the same boat started out again, with 
three new men in place of those who were wounded, 
and for sake of effect the cruiser steamed farther in 
toward shore. This time there were no crowds upon 
the beach, and the thirty men marched to the burn- 
ing buildings, where the natives fell before them, 
begging for mercy. The soldiers were nowhere to 
be seen, so the crew took possession of the town and 
slept there, in company with thirty more sailors, that 
night. 


CHAPTER XXL 


CONTINUING THE CRUISE ANOTHER VILLAGE CAP- 
TURED — THE ADMIRAL ARCHIE’s FRIEND A 

GREAT BATTLE AND AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY 
LONGING TO BE HOME AGAIN. 

It may go without saying that the sixty men from 
the cruiser had a very interesting time before the 
night was over. The entire village was in a con- 
stant uproar ; the poor natives, horrified by what they 
had witnessed during the afternoon, ran hither and 
thither, some even leaving the place entirely and 
starting for the interior with their goods and families. 
The rebel soldiers had evidently gone for good, 
and a small party sent out to look for traces of 
them returned without learning anything of their 
whereabouts. The bombardment of the village had 
certainly had great effect. 

It was only a tiny place, with possibly not more 
than a thousand inhabitants, but there were evidences 
that it had been formerly a flourishing town. There 


193 


194 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

were fine residences in some of the streets, which 
were now quite deserted, and there were some very 
respectable business houses in the village square. 
All these had once been occupied by Spanish traders, 
who had been driven away when the rebels came, 
and if the insurgents had never come the town might 
now have been a booming place. But the rebels 
were lazy, as usual, and did no work, so that now the 
fine residences were vacant, and the business blocks 
stood empty. 

Some of the sailors looked about for a casino, 
where they might be able to find entertainment of 
some kind for the evening, but every place of amuse- 
ment was closed, and the streets were deserted. 
Since the occurrences of the afternoon all the people 
had locked themselves into their houses, to await the 
departure of the Americans. But, even though the 
casino was closed, the Yankees managed to have a 
good time. They sang and danced and played the 
banjo until an early hour in the morning, when they 
finally went to sleep, leaving only two for a night 
watch, for there was no danger that the insurgents 
would return, after their engagement, in which they 
had lost six men. 

When morning came, some officers landed from 


CONTINUING THE CRUISE. 


195 


the cruiser, and all the villagers were summoned to 
the public square and made to swear allegiance to the 
American flag. 

In the afternoon the cruiser steamed away again 
on her errand of forcible pacification, and more days 
of quiet watchfulness followed, as the vessel steamed 
along near the shore. There were many small 
villages along this coast, but all of them seemed 
peaceful and free of insurgents. The captain even 
said that some of the people in them probably didn’t 
know that there had ever been a war between Spain 
and the United States. Archie, who had enjoyed 
his experiences during the occupation of the last 
village, now began to be impatient again at the long 
quiet. The day when the cruiser bombarded the 
administration building would be a memorable one 
to him, and the succeeding events were just such as 
he had been longing to see for months. And then 
to think that he had taken part in the occupation of 
the village. It was all very wonderful, but very real, 
too, and for several days he took much pains in writ- 
ing an article for the paper describing the events 
leading up to and including the capture of the village. 
And in the narration Bill Hickson was an important 
character. He had again proved himself a hero of 


196 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

the first water by insisting that the boat proceed 
when the first attempt was made to land, and by 
being the first man ashore when a landing was finally 
effected. He was a leader in everything that was 
done. He marched at the head of the squad when 
they marched through the streets of the village, call- 
ing all the people to assemble in the public square, 
and he stood beside the officers with his rifle handy 
when the ceremony of swearing allegiance was gone 
through with. When it was all over he was called 
to the admiral’s cabin aboard the cruiser and con- 
gratulated for being so brave and so ever-ready to 
lead in any dangerous undertaking ; but Bill Hickson 
simply blushed and said he hadn’t done “anything 
worth mentionin’.” The men aboard thought dif- 
ferently, however, and he was even a greater hero 
after this adventure than he had been before. 

Archie, too, received the congratulations of the 
admiral. “You have been a brave boy,” he said, 
“and deserve much credit for showing so little fear 
in the face of danger. I hope you will be rewarded 
upon your return to New York for your bravery 
while with us here.” Archie, too, blushed, and said 
that he had no doubt that Mr. Van Bunting would 
treat him fairly when he reached New York again. 


CONTINUING THE CRUISE. 1 97 

And Archie was now beginning to wish that the 
time for his return would soon arrive. It was the 
month of February, and he had been away from 
America an age, it seemed to him. He felt that he 
had seen most of what there was to be seen in the 
Philippines, and when this naval tour was over with, 
the active campaigning would no doubt cease until 
the rainy season was over. So for many reasons the 
boy wished he might be able to start home soon, and 
as the days passed he became more and more anxious 
to receive word from the Enterprise that he might 
return. He had sent many interesting articles to 
the paper, and would be able to write many more 
just as interesting upon his return, so he felt that 
the editors wouldn’t object to his early return. 

For an entire week the cruiser found no signs of 
the rebels, but at last there came a day when they 
were steaming slowly along near the shore, and saw, 
back among the trees, some specks of white resem- 
bling tents in shape. Immediately the whole vessel 
was excited, and there was much gossip and wonder 
as to what the tents could be doing there. The 
admiral at last decided to send two boats ashore to 
investigate, and gave strict orders that the men 
should be cautious and not allow themselves to be 


198 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

ambushed or caught in a trap of any kind. Of 
course Archie and Bill Hickson were among the 
crew of the first boat, and each was as fully armed 
as any of the sailors. 

The two boats pulled quietly for the shore, keep- 
ing close together, and they were beached at the 
same time. The natives, or whoever occupied the 
tents, had evidently not yet discovered them, and the 
men halted upon landing to decide what they had 
better do. The tents could be plainly seen through 
the trees, and there was smoke rising from a fire 
somewhere in the neighbourhood, but there were no 
noises which could be heard so far away. It was 
decided to march up to the tents and find out who 
occupied them, and the column kept close together 
as they advanced, for things were so quiet it was 
feared the rebels, if such they were, might be in 
ambush. 

The men got within a hundred feet of the camp, 
when they heard several terrible yells in succession, 
and several natives ran out from behind one of the 
tents, screaming at the top of their voices, and not 
pausing to look around at all. The officer in com- 
mand of the company of men was much disturbed by 
this demonstration, and, without pausing a moment. 


CONTINUING THE CRUISE. 


199 


gave the order to fire. Five of the natives fell 
immediately, but the other six kept running, and 
soon disappeared among the trees on the other 
side of the clearing. The men stood still await- 
ing developments, but though they waited several 
minutes nothing more was heard, and it was de- 
cided that the camp must be deserted. So they 
marched up to the tents, and then the officer almost 
fainted, for inside the first one he entered was stand- 
ing an American flag, and scattered about were the 
accoutrements and camp equipment belonging to an 
American force in the field. There was now no 
doubt , but what the tents belonged to an American 
regiment, and that the fleeing natives were either 
servants or prisoners, more likely the former. The 
men were all much excited at this discovery, and the 
officer ordered the natives to be looked after at once. 
It was found, however, that all but one were dead, 
and he expired within an hour, so that the men felt 
that they had killed five innocent men, a thought 
which made some of them weep, hardened though 
they were. 

It was now decided to await the return of the 
regiment, which was out, the officer thought, on a 
practice march, and could not possibly be gone 


200 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

much longer. So the men lounged about on the 
grass for more than an hour. Then, about three in 
the afternoon, a rifle-shot was heard in the near 
distance, and instantly every man was on his ‘ feet, 
rifle in hand. ‘‘They must have found the rebels,” 
said the officer; “so be ready, men, to help them out, 
should they be retreating to the camp.” This sup- 
position turned out to be correct, for a few minutes - 
later some members of the regiment came running 
into camp and announced that a large body of insur- 
gents was after them. Later the remainder of the 
regiment followed, and the joy of the colonel when 
he found these unexpected reinforcements was very 
great. “ There must be more than fifteen hun- 
dred rebels,” he said, “and they will all be on us 
here in less than an hour, for their sharpshooters 
have been following us up for a long time. I was 
beginning to think that we would be unable to fight 
them, for they seem to be well equipped, but with 
the cruiser to help us we can whip them at once. 
The thing to do will be to let them come on without 
suspecting that we have received any help, and then, 
when the fight is getting a little warm, or they are 
about to charge us, let the cruiser fire a few shells 
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CONTINUING THE CRUISE. 


203 


are country troops, and have never seen a cruiser, 
so they will be too much frightened to speak when 
they hear the thunder of the guns, and see the shells 
explode in the air. And then they have a village 
about three miles back from the coast, and if you 
can send a few shells into that village it will simply 
ruin the insurgents. 

had no idea of meeting these rebels,” the 
colonel then explained. ‘‘ I took the men out for 
a little practice marching, but before we had gone 
far we encountered these sharpshooters, and later 
discovered that they had all these men about a mile 
and a half away. Then we decided to return to 
camp as quickly as possible, to get more ammunition, 
and we felt, too, that we would stand a better chance 
of resisting them here among the trees. But now we 
will soon finish them up, if you will just send a man 
out to tell the admiral of our plans.” Archie im- 
mediately volunteered to carry the information, and 
as he could be spared better than one of the soldiers 
or sailors, he was permitted to undertake the mission. 
So he started out, and was on board the cruiser in a 
very short time. The admiral was dumbfounded to 
learn that American troops were encamped on the 
shore, and in imminent danger of being defeated. 


204 ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

and he at once set about giving orders with great 
vigour. ‘*We will show them how they can attack 
a small regiment of Americans with their ridiculous 
army,” he declared, and at once gave orders for the 
vessel to move inshore. “But wait,” he cried, a 
minute later, “ I see by my chart that there is a deep 
stream about a mile up the coast, and if I am not 
mistaken we can enter this stream and perhaps get 
very near the advancing rebels. We may even be 
able to destroy them before they have a chance at 
our soldiers,” and the old admiral almost danced in 
the enthusiasm of this idea. So the cruiser steamed 
rapidly up the coast, and was soon at the mouth of 
the stream, which seemed to be the estuary of some 
great river. Then she steamed up-stream, and, sure 
enough, the admiral soon discovered the rebels 
marching rapidly along the road, about half a mile 
away. They had evidently not perceived the cruiser, 
on account of the high reeds growing along the 
banks, and the admiral gave orders to begin firing. 

The first shell rose high in the air and exploded 
with a deafening thunder, and when the smoke 
cleared away it was seen that the insurgents were 
almost paralysed with fright, and had just discovered 
the cruiser in the river. But this first shell had not 


A GREAT BATTLE. 


205 


hurt any one, and another was immediately ignited. 
This one exploded over the very heads of the troops, 
and many of them must have been killed. Those 
who were not either killed or wounded turned about 
and began to run, and their leaders were powerless 
to make them stand their ground. One shell fol- 
lowed another from the cruiser, and hundreds must 
have been killed outright among the insurgents. 
Finally they were all running, and it was soon per- 
ceived that the Americans had advanced, and were 
now pursuing them with great energy. So the 
cruiser could fire no more shells, and the admiral 
ordered her about and back to the anchorage off- 
shore. 

It would take many pages to describe in detail the 
events of the remainder of that afternoon, as Archie 
witnessed them from the deck of the cruiser, and 
learned of them later from Bill Hickson. The 
insurgents were nearly all killed or taken prisoners, 
and it was found that they numbered nearly two 
thousand. So it was a great achievement to have 
vanquished them all. The affair turned out to have 
been the greatest victory of the war, so far. 


CHAPTER XXII. 


RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS A LETTER FROM THE 

EDITOR, WITH PERMISSION TO RETURN TO NEW 
YORK BILL HICKSON GOES, TOO. 

Archie left the cruiser when she was once more 
at anchor, and, going ashore to the American camp, 
he found things in a very lively condition at the close 
of the afternoon’s battle. Every man was very jubi- 
lant over the retreat which had been turned into a 
great victory, and Archie was congratulated on having 
been the lucky man to carry the news of the coming 
of the rebels to the admiral. The officers were all in 
the best of humour, except the colonel, who felt some- 
what sad on account of the death of his five faithful 
servants, as the men first shot turned out to have been. 

‘‘There were never any better men than they,” 
said the colonel, “and I would almost as soon my 
own men had been shot.” But he bore the ship’s 
company no malice for their mistake, which he said 
was a very natural one. 


206 


RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS. 20 / 

After the capture of so many rebels, and the 
killing of so many others, it was felt that the rebel 
army in this part of the island was pretty well dis- 
banded, and that it would soon disappear altogether. 
It had been known, from the very beginning of hos- 
tilities, that there was a large force of insurgents 
somewhere in this neighbourhood, but not until to-day 
had the colonel seen anything of them. But it was 
impossible, all the officers said, that there could be 
any more troops about, for these two thousand repre- 
sented a very considerable portion of the entire rebel 
army. And now that these were done away with, 
the colonel said there was no need of his remaining 
any longer in this place, and that he would like to 
get back to Manila as quickly as possible. Hearing 
this, the admiral said he thought room could be made 
for all the men aboard the cruiser, and that they 
could all return at once if they so desired. This 
generous offer was at once accepted by the colonel, 
and the next day the work of embarkation began. 
By night every man was aboard, and a place of some 
kind had been found where he could sleep, but of 
course, every portion of the vessel was much over- 
crowded. This only made things all the more lively, 
however, and Archie, as well as all the others, thought 


208 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

he had never enjoyed any trip so much as these three 
days spent in getting back again to Manila. There 
was always fun of some sort going on. If some one 
wasn’t dancing, there was sure to be singing. And 
then there were several ingenious games which were 
invented for the occasion, so that time never passed 
slowly. Indeed, there were many who were sorry 
when the capital was finally reached, but Archie was 
not among these, for he expected some mail to be 
awaiting him from the editor of the Enterprise. And 
he hoped that in this mail he would find permission 
to return to New York. 

All officials were very much surprised when the 
cruiser anchored off Cavite, but the admiral explained 
that he thought it no use to spend more time in 
touring the island, even though the month which it 
was supposed to take him had not yet expired. He 
said that he felt sure there were no more insurgent 
villages along the coast, because it was perfectly 
evident, from all signs, that the rebels were all in 
one division. And this division, of course, had been 
vanquished four days previously. 

When the report of the engagement went the 
rounds there was much enthusiasm, for it was felt 
that at last some progress was being made against 


RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS. 


209 


the insurgents. The admiral was a popular hero at 
once, and Archie, with Bill Hickson, was again the 
centre of admiration and interest in the old palace, 
where they both returned. 

Archie was surprised to find no mail awaiting him, 
but he was not discouraged, and wrote two long 
articles to send to the Enterprise. One described 
the great engagement, and the other was descriptive 
of the daily life aboard ship upon the return to 
Manila. These articles, with the others he had 
written during the latter part of the cruise, were sent 
off at once, and Archie felt confident that they would 
be read with great interest by Mr. Van Bunting. 
And now the days passed very pleasantly in Manila. 
He had a great deal to tell his comrades in the old 
regiment, for none of them had been out of Manila 
since he left, and were very anxious indeed to hear 
about the events of the round-th e-island tour. And 
Archie was very willing to tell them all he could, for 
he had been much interested in the entire voyage, 
and never tired of talking about it. 

Still, while things were very pleasant, and he was 
having a good time in many ways, Archie was very 
anxious to see New York again and to get back to 
America. And then, what was even more impor- 


210 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 


tant with him, was the knowledge that he would 
certainly be allowed to visit his mother upon his 
return. Therefore he was a very happy boy when 
he one day received two letters from the Enterprise 
office, one from Mr. Van Bunting, and one from Mr. 
Jennings. They were both very encouraging and 
very friendly. Mr. Van Bunting wrote to tell 
Archie how delighted they all had been with his 
success in finding interesting things to write about, 
and he enclosed a check for three hundred dollars, 
which he thought would come in handy now.” 
The letter from Mr. Jennings was of later date, and 
stated that he had prevailed upon Mr. Van Bunting 
to allow Archie to return to New York, to work 
upon the Evening Enterprise, It was a very 
delightful letter, Archie thought. “We believe,” 
wrote Mr. Jennings, “that we can use you here to 
very good advantage, and we will be glad to have 
you return as soon as possible. I enclose two hun- 
dred dollars to pay your expenses home again.” 

So now it was all settled that Archie was to leave 
Manila for New York, and, now that it was sure he 
was going, he felt somewhat reluctant to leave the 
soldiers with whom he had become friendly, and to 
get away from all this life of adventure which had 


LETTER FROM THE EDITOR. 


2II 


been so interesting and so delightful in many ways. 
It was hard, too, to leave the dear old palace in 
Manila, through which he had wandered so often, 
and every room of which had for him some story of 
a Spanish prince or a great governor-general, wealthy 
and wise. There would be none of all this at home 
or in New York, but then there would be something 
better ; there would be mother, and the old grape 
arbour, and the Hut Club. 

On investigation, Archie found that the quickest 
way to get home would be to travel by way of Hong 
Kong and Yokohama, taking the steamer from there 
to San Francisco. It would take him more than a 
month to make the trip, and, as it was now the second 
week in March, he could hardly expect to reach New 
York before the first of May. He at once cabled 
Mr. Jennings that he would leave at once for Hong 
Kong, and received an answer telling him to do so 
by all means, and to continue to write letters describ- 
ing his trip. Archie knew that these letters would 
probably not reach New York any sooner than he 
would, but he did write them, anyhow, and he did see 
some of them appear in the paper after his arrival. 

Archie was overjoyed to learn one day that Bill 
Hickson had received permission from the com- 


212 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

manding general to return to the United States, and 
he at once hunted up the bashful hero, and insisted 
that he leave at once, and make the trip with him. 
This was finally agreed to, and when it was settled 
that the two old chums were to travel homeward 
together the whole camp in Manila was interested in 
the news. They were both very popular, and almost 
every night before their departure there was a pleas- 
ure party of some kind arranged for them. One night 
they would give a regular stag,” a^they called them, 
and then again they would arrange a sort of musicale, 
at which there would be clog-dancing, banjo music, 
and various games to increase the fun. 

The four days passed very quickly indeed, and at 
last the day for sailing arrived. There was a great 
throng at the pier to see them off, and there was no 
end of good wishes and stories of the good times 
now gone by. When the steamer finally moved out 
into the open, there were three cheers each for 
Archie and ‘‘brave Bill Hickson,” in which every 
man appeared to join with all his heart and voice. 
And there were tears in Archie’s eyes at having to 
part from such true friends. It was hard to tell, too, 
when he would ever see any of them again. He 
realised that hereafter his path and theirs would 


LETTER FROM THE EDITOR. 21 3 

probably lie in different directions. He was going 
to New York to work as a reporter, and they, if they 
were not killed in battle, would be scattered in all 
parts of the great United States, at the mustering 
out of the troops. It was all very sad, and even 
Bill Hickson seemed to feel the solemnity of the 
occasion, for he had nothing to say for many hours 
after the vessel had started on its journey. 

Archie, too, felt homesick at having to leave, and 
they went to bed very early, apparently feeling that 
the best thing under such circumstances was to be 
asleep. And when morning came they both felt 
somewhat better, for Archie arose filled with hope 
for the future, and more anxious than ever to reach 
home. Bill Hickson, too, was not loath to return to 
the United States, even though he had no relatives 
waiting there to welcome him. The poor fellow had 
been through a great deal while in the Philippines, 
and his constitution was almost wrecked by the 
constant strain to which he was subjected. He 
had never fully recovered from his accident of 
several weeks before, and he felt that he needed 
a rest from the constant excitement and worry of 
life in the army. He was tired, too, of being a spy. 
He had never relished the work, but he had realised 


214 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

how necessary it was for the Americans to have 
some one to follow up Aguinaldo and let the gen- 
eral know of his movements. They’ll be a long 
time catching him now,” he said, time and again, to 
Archie. He’s a much shrewder man than they 
think, and he knows his Philippine Islands like a 
book. He can go from one place to another with- 
out the Americans ever knowing where he dis- 
appeared to, and without some one to follow him 
they will never be able to learn anything of his 
movements.” 

Bill had received nearly two hundred dollars in 
back pay, so he felt quite rich, and Archie told him 
that if he should happen to run out, and need more 
money, he would be very glad to furnish it to him, 
For Archie was now determined to take Bill Hick- 
son to New York, and introduce him to Mr. Van 
Bunting, feeling sure that the wise editor would 
thank him for bringing to his attention a man at 
once so interesting and so worthy as this hero of 
the war had proved himself to be. But for the 
present Bill would discuss nothing of the kind. 
He was thoroughly content to sit beside Archie 
on the warm steamer deck, and watch the ever 
varied surface of the Indian Ocean. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


HONG KONG A HAPPY TIME IN TOKIO HONOLULU 

AGAIN ARRIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO, AND A 

GREAT RECEPTION BY THE PRESS ARCHIE AND 

BILL ARRIVE IN NEW YORK, AND ARE THE 
HEROES OF THE HOUR. 

After a short and pleasant voyage they reached 
Hong Kong, and Archie found this city to be much 
more interesting than he had expected to find it. It 
was charming, he thought, to run across a place 
which combined the conveniences of England and 
America with the picturesque oddities of China and 
Japan, and he enjoyed himself to the utmost during 
the two days they spent there. Bill Hickson en- 
joyed the place, too, and they would both have liked 
to remain longer had it been possible for them to do 
so, but they were anxious to see something of Japan 
before sailing for San Francisco, and their steamer 
was due to leave Yokohama in eleven days. 

But they did enjoy Hong Kong to the utmost 

215 


2i6 the adventures of a boy reporter. 

while they were there. They called first, of course, 
upon the American consul, whom they found to be 
an exceedingly pleasant man. They learned, to their 
great surprise, that he had read of Archie Dunn, and 
of Bill Hickson, too, in the Enterprise^ and Archie 
began to think that his paper had a much wider cir- 
culation than even the editors claimed for it. He 
thought it very remarkable, at first, that a man 
living in Hong Kong should have read about his 
Philippine experiences in a New York paper, but of 
course, after he thought of it awhile, it didn’t seem 
such a very remarkable thing, after all. And after 
this, when they heard of people having read of 
them, they weren’t so much surprised, having come 
to realise the tremendous circulation of this paper. 

The consul did all in his power to make their stay 
in Hong Kong pleasant. He was anxious to have a 
formal dinner for them, but Bill Hickson said that 
he would much prefer not having to dress up, and 
Archie was willing for Bill’s sake to forego the 
honour. So they spent their two days in going 
about the city, visiting the quaint Chinese shops, 
and seeing everything of particular interest. They 
found many wonderful things to look at, and Archie 
said that he couldn’t imagine any more delightful 


HONG KONG. 


217 


place ; but Bill told him to wait until they reached 
Japan, for he’d find that much more charming than 
Hong Kong. I’ve been there before,” said Bill, 

‘‘ and I know what I’m talkin’ about, and I say there 
ain’t no such place on earth as Japan for interestin’ 
things to look at, and pleasant things to do.” And 
when, a few days later, Archie was initiated into some 
of the mysteries of Japanese life by his experienced 
friend, he was willing to admit the truth of all he 
had heard concerning the land of the chrysanthemum. 
He found everything quite beyond his expectations. 
The people themselves were more quaint in their 
dress and manners than he had expected to find 
them, and the houses and the pagodas were much 
more picturesque than he had imagined they would 
be. And the whole atmosphere of the country seemed 
filled with romance and history, and it wasn’t at all 
hard to believe that the Japanese have longer family 
trees than any other nation on earth. 

They spent a few days travelling through the 
provincial districts of the little kingdom, and then 
they reached Tokio, where Bill was anxious to spend 
several days. I know some folks here who can 
take us around and show us everything that’s worth 
seeing,” he said, ''and we can spend our time to 


2 I 8 the adventures of a boy reporter. 


better advantage here than anywhere else I know 
of.” And sure enough, Bill did know some people in 
the capital city, some pleasant English people, who 
had met the open-hearted Westerner when he was in 
the city years before, and who had at once appreci- 
ated the true nobility of his character. They were 
very kind to Archie, — so kind that the lad thought 
he had never before met such pleasant people. And 
they were thoroughly interested in all his adventures, 
from the time he left home late in the preceding 
summer until now. He had to tell them all about 
his New York adventures, and also about their 
experiences together in the Philippines, and his new 
friends showed the greatest interest in all he had to 
say, and seemed to find it all vastly entertaining. 
They were anxious, Archie thought, to make him 
have a very good time in Tokio, to make up for 
some of his hard experiences, and if this were indeed 
their object, they succeeded admirably in accomplish- 
ing it. Every day was filled with surprises, and 
every night Archie thought he had enjoyed himself 
more this day than the day before. They travelled 
about the city so persistently, on foot and in the 
quaint jinrikishas, that he felt that he knew almost 
every part of Tokio, and he witnessed every side of 


HONOLULU AGAIN 


219 


native existence, as well as the life in the foreign 
quarter. It was all charmingly new and interesting, 
and, as in Hong Kong, they were both sorry when 
the day for their sailing came around. And always 
since Archie has declared that no one can be more 
kindly hospitable than the English. 

The voyage from Yokohama to San Francisco was 
slow and monotonous, Archie thought, for he was 
now very impatient to reach the United States, and 
he had also grown very tired of travel by water. 
There were some very pleasant passengers, but 
Archie couldn’t see that he had a much better time 
than when he was peeling potatoes coming over. 
That was interesting enough, anyhow. The only 
break in the monotony was the day they were 
enabled to spend in Honolulu, and on that day • 
Archie went again to some of the places he had seen 
during his first visit to the attractive city. And he 
called again upon some of the friends of his first 
visit, and found that most of them had read of his 
great success as a war correspondent, and of his 
many exciting experiences in the Philippines. They 
were all profuse in congratulating him upon what he 
had accomplished, and every one seemed to think 
he had been very successful indeed. 


220 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 


While they were in Honolulu a vessel arrived, 
bound for Japan, and Archie was delighted to find 
it was the same vessel upon which he had worked his 
passage from San Francisco on his way to Manila. 
He went aboard and met some of the friends he 
had made there, and found that they all knew now 
who it was they had carried as chore-boy in the 
galley. They all seemed glad to hear of his success, 
and to know that he was coming home as a first- 
class passenger. The cook treated hini with much 
deference, and started to apologise for his treatment 
of Archie on the way over; but the boy stopped 
him, and told him that no apology was necessary. 

I think I may have been an unwilling worker,” he 
said, because of course I didn’t like the work at all, 
« and it was hard for me to take an interest in peeling 
potatoes when I was looking forward to accomplish- 
ing such great things in the Philippines.” 

Oh,” said the cook, ‘^you was a fine worker. 
Sure, I ain’t had so good a boy since.” And Archie 
laughed to see the change in opinion which is some- 
times brought about by a change in circumstances. 

Archie enjoyed the city quite as much as before, 
but he was glad, nevertheless, when the steamer 
continued her voyage east. And then he began to 


ARRIVAL IN SAN FRANCISCO. 


221 


count the days until they should arrive in San Fran- 
cisco, and of course these last days seemed the long- 
est ones of the voyage. But they gradually passed 
away, and as they steamed ahead, coming nearer 
every hour to that dear land called “home,” both 
Archie and Bill began to wonder how they would 
like it all, after their adventurous life in the Philip- 
pines. Bill, in particular, was doubtful whether he 
would again be able to settle down to a quiet exist- 
ence in some small place, and Archie assured him 
that he must live in New York, where he would be 
sure to find things lively enough to suit him. 

At last came the eventful day when the great 
steamer threaded her way through the beautiful 
Golden Gate, and discharged her passengers at the 
pier. As Archie and Bill had but little baggage, 
they were almost the first ones to leave the vessel, 
and were hurrying away to find a hotel where they 
could remain overnight when Archie felt some one 
touch him on the shoulder, and, turning about and 
seeing no one he knew, was about to go on, when a 
man introduced himself as being the San Francisco 
correspondent of the Enterprise. “And these gentle- 
men here,” said he, “are reporters from the news- 
papers here. They would be glad to have you say 


222 THE ADVENIHRES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

a few words about your experiences during the last 
few months/’ Archie was quite dumbfounded. It 
had never occurred to him that he was a person so 
important as to be interviewed, but he was willing 
and glad to accommodate the reporters, and told 
them to accompany him to his hotel. Once there, he 
answered all their questions, and didn’t find it hard 
at all to give them his opinion of the situation in the 
Philippines, and what he thought should be done by 
the government to stop the rebellion. ‘‘The Presi- 
dent will soon put an end to it,” he said, “ if he can 
only have the support of Congress. But as long as 
there are members of Congress fighting his policy, 
the insurgents are going to continue their insane 
efforts to establish an independent government.” 
And some of the reporters smiled to hear so young 
a fellow talking about the policy in the Philippines. 
They felt that he was well-informed, however, and 
put down every word he said. 

The interviews over, Archie and Bill went early 
to bed. The Enterprise correspondent had tele- 
graphed the news of their arrival to New York, and 
had received word from Mr. Van Bunting to send 
them on to New York at once. So, early in the 
morning, the two started for the East, and the train 


HEROES OF THE HOUR. 


223 


seemed to travel quite as slowly as the steamer. 

It does seem good to be in our own country again,” 
they said a hundred times during the days that 
followed, and when they reached the Empire State 
and began their journey down the Hudson River, 
Archie could hardly restrain his enthusiasm at being 
again in his native commonwealth. 

There was quite a delegation at the Grand Central 
Station to meet them. Mr. Jennings was there in 
person, and he explained that Mr. Van Bunting was 
waiting anxiously at the office to see him. Then 
there were reporters from the various other city 
papers, who wanted interviews, but Archie was told 
to say whatever he had to say in the columns of the 
Enterprise^ so he had to deny the reporters for the 
first time. Bill Hickson was introduced at once, 
and became the lion of the hour. Every one had 
read of him, and was glad to shake his hand, and 
poor Bill was quite bewildered by so much attention. 
They didn’t linger long at the station, however, but 
hurried down to the Enterprise office, where Mr. Van 
Bunting was awaiting them. He grasped Archie’s 
hand in his as they entered, and cried, ‘‘ Well done, 
my boy, well done.” And Archie felt as if he had 
grown three feet that instant. 


CHAPTER XXIV. 


DOING “special” WORK UPON THE EVENING PAPER 

INTERVIEWS WITH FAMOUS MEN CALLS 

UPON OLD FRIENDS. 

There was so much to tell Mr. Jennings and Mr. 
Van Bunting, that Archie didn’t get away from the 
Enterprise office until seven o’clock in the evening. 
And what a lot they did say to each other during the 
afternoon ! Archie told of all his experiences, and 
found them all anxious to hear about them. He 
learned, to his joy, that everything he had sent had 
been printed, and that the articles had made a great 
hit with the public. “ We would have liked to keep 
you there longer, but we knew you must be worn 
out, and then we want you to stay right here, now, 
and see if you cannot get us some good interviews 
and articles of various kinds for the Evening Enter- 
prise. The paper has been losing ground somewhat, 
of late, and we need some new life for its pages. Of 
course the morning paper profited greatly by your 

224 


DOING ^^SPECIAL^^ WORK. 22 $ 

articles, but the evening edition seemed very weak in 
comparison, and we think it only fair to Mr. Jennings 
to let him have you on his staff for awhile now. So 
if you are willing, you can start in to-morrow as a 
member of the staff. We will see that you are well 
paid for what you write, or we will put you on salary, 
whichever you like. You can think it over, and in 
the morning you can tell us which plan you like best.” 

Archie wanted to ask for a few days’ absence to 
return home, but he felt, somehow, that he ought not 
to ask it just now. So he contented himself with 
writing a long letter to his mother, in which he 
enclosed a very large check, money which he had not 
used on his return to New York. He told her that 
he would be home just as soon as he could get off 
for any length of time, and he knew that she would 
now be looking forward to the visit every day. She 
had written him about the enthusiasm displayed by 
every one over his achievements, and how proud she 
was of what he had accomplished. “I think I am 
the proudest mother in the country,” she wrote one 
day, and this sentence made Archie very happy, of 
course, and more anxious than ever to return home. 
He received a letter, too, from Jack Sullivan, telling 
him how much the boys, all thought of his success. 


226 THE ADVENTURED OF A BOY REPORTER. 


and how every member of the Hut Club had longed 
time and again to be with him. ‘Ht all reads just 
like some book,” Jack wrote, ‘‘and we are dying to 
have you come home and tell us all about it.” Then 
his mother sent him clippings from the town papers, 
eulogising his efforts, and calling him the “ coming 
man of the State.” All this was very pleasant and 
very encouraging, and Archie couldn’t help having 
a kindly feeling for the townsfolk who thought so 
much of him. 

New York was as delightful as ever. It was now 
the last of April, and the trees were all green with 
fresh leaves, and the numerous little parks scattered 
over the city were looking their very best. The 
asphalt pavements looked clean and elegant when 
Archie thought of some other streets he had seen, 
and the tall office buildings lifted their ornate domes 
and cupolas into a sky of clear blue. “ Surely,” he 
thought to himself, “this is the most charming city 
in all the world.” Fifth Avenue, with its crowds of 
fashionable folk, and its throng of vehicles, was a 
delight of which he never tired, and when he went 
into the Bowery, just to see how things were looking 
now, he found it quite as interesting and as dirty as 
in the fall. 


DOING SPECIAL'^ WORK. 


227 

But the first place he visited was the dear little 
square away down-town, where he had lived during 
those few happy days spent in New York. It, too, 
looked the same, only the flowers and grass were 
fresher now, and the fountain seemed to flow more 
joyously, now that spring was here. The house 
where he had lodged was as clean as ever, and Archie 
at once decided to engage a room here, where he 
could have his New York home. So he called upon 
the motherly landlady, and was glad to learn that the 
room he had first was still vacant, and that he could 
take possession at once. 

As before, when he came to this house, Archie 
was almost out of clothing, so he went out and fitted 
himself with everything he needed. And this time 
he felt able to buy the best to be had, for he thought 
he had now earned the privilege to dress well if he 
liked. And then, when he had everything he needed 
to wear, he went out and bought many pretty things 
for his room, for he felt that he would like to have it 
just as cosy and homelike as possible. He wasn’t 
able to do much at it this first night, but in the suc- 
ceeding days he furnished the place in a charming 
way, so that the landlady said it was the “ handsomest 
room in the house, sir.” The dear old lady could 


228 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

hardly understand this great change in her lodger’s 
circumstances. She worried about it very often, and 
discussed the question with many of the neighbours. 
“ He come here last fall looking mighty poor-like, but, 
lawsy me, he’s as fine now as any man on the 
avenue.” And she never did understand it until one 
day she learned that her lodger was the very young 
man who had been to the war in the Philippines, and 
writ about his battles in the Enterprise T 

There was no ceremony when Archie began work 
on the evening paper. Mr. Jennings told him that 
he thought they understood each other pretty well, 
and that he could use his own discretion, very often, 
about getting articles. “You can be as independent 
as you like, Archie,” he said, “and use your own 
ideas as much as you like.” This pleased the boy 
very much indeed. He was beginning to feel now 
that he had really won his spurs, and that he was a 
full-fledged journalist. It seemed scarcely possible 
that it had taken him little more than six months to 
make this great advance in circumstances, and yet he 
could see himself a few months previous, sleeping in 
the station-house. Now his days of poverty were 
surely over, and he would have a clear path ahead 
of him to accomplish his great ambition to be a sue- 


DOING SPECIAL" WORK. 


229 


cessful author and writer of books. For the present, 
it was good experience for him to be working upon 
the Enterprise, and he felt that he ought to be very 
much contented, since there were men old enough to 
be his father who were not earning as much money. 

He liked the work upon the evening paper very 
much. He didn’t have to get down early in the 
morning, and at three o’clock in the afternoon he 
was always through. He was very glad indeed that 
there was no night work, for he now spent his 
evenings in studying shorthand, which he thought 
might be helpful to him in many ways. He didn’t 
have much routine work to do upon the paper in the 
beginning, but he told Mr. Jennings that he would 
like to get as much experience as possible, so the 
good editor gave him a lot of regular reporting to do, 
as well as the special work which was daily featured 
in the paper. This special work consisted of inter- 
views with various successful men. Archie had 
always felt a great admiration for men who had 
‘‘done something,” and as New York was simply 
filled with wealthy and successful men, who had 
started as poor boys, he found a wide field for work. 
He found it very interesting to meet these men of 
affairs, and have them tell him of their early strug- 


230 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

gles, how they had begun on the farm or in the fac- 
tory, and had worked themselves up through industry 
and perseverance to the high places they now occu- 
pied. He found it very easy to get access to most 
of them, for they had all read of his experiences in 
the Enterprise, and Archie found that his fame as 
the Boy Reporter ” was quite general and wide- 
spread. Some of the great men were quite as much 
determined to interview him as he was anxious to 
interview them, so that he usually got along very well 
by telling them first of his own experiences, and then 
asking them about their own boyhood days. It was 
work that never became monotonous, for each day he 
saw a man quite different in most respects from the 
man he had interviewed the day before, and of course 
every one had something different to say. 

These interviews proved very successful when pub- 
lished in the Evening Enterprise, and Mr. Jennings 
had him continue them during all the weeks Archie 
was connected with the paper. And of course he 
did other things, too, work which took him into every 
part of the great city, looking up this event, or investi- 
gating this reported disappearance or murder. Archie 
was quite successful in this line, too, and, as he was 
being paid by the column, his weekly income was 


CALLS Upon old friends. 231 

something larger than he had ever dared to hope for 
in all his life. He was now enabled to study his 
stenography at the best school, and to indulge him- 
self in many things which had been denied him 
before. He could, for instance, attend the perform- 
ances of grand opera, and hear the great musical 
artists of the world. He was able, too, to read the 
best literature, and he gradually learned to appreciate 
all the many good things in life. He was very glad 
to find himself broadening in such a way, for he 
realised that he would not always want to be a “ Boy 
Reporter,” and that he had better be developing his 
mind in every possible way. 

He had not been back long in New York before 
he met all his old friends. One of the first upon whom 
he called was the good policeman who had been so 
very kind to him when he had no place to sleep. 
The large-hearted man was as enthusiastic over his 
success as if he had been his own son, and Archie 
felt that here was one true friend upon whom he 
could always depend. The policeman never tired of 
telling about that first night when he found Archie 
walking up and down Broadway, and he always spoke 
of him to the other officers as « that boy of mine.” 
So the boy, who was now a full-fledged reporter, 


232 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

spent as much time with this friend as possible, and 
many a time he sat at the station-house telling them 
all of his adventures in the Orient. 

Another friend whom he met was the great railway 
president with whom he had travelled to Chicago on 
his way to San Francisco. Archie had liked this 
man from the very first, and he felt that in him he 
would always find a friend, because he had shown 
such interest in his first undertaking. And when he 
called upon him in his elegant office, he received a 
very cordial greeting. 

“No, indeed,” said the great man of affairs, “I 
have never forgotten our trip West together, and 
I have followed you with much interest through the 
columns of the Enterprise. And I am glad that you 
are back again in New York, for I hope to see a 
great deal of you. You must come up to my house 
some evening and tell us all about yourself.” 

Archie was naturally much surprised to receive an 
invitation of this kind, but he resolved to accept it, 
nevertheless. 

Bill Hickson was now employed in the Brooklyn 
navy yard. He had been featured for several days 
in the Enterprise, and had enjoyed the excitement of 
New York for awhile, but he decided he would like 


CALLS UPON OLD FRIENDS. 


233 


to be at work. So one day Archie learned that he 
was working at the navy yard. 

‘‘ Fve got to be with Uncle Sam,” was all the 
reason Bill would give for his action. 


CHAPTER XXV. 


PRIVATE SECRETARY TO A MILLIONAIRE STUDYING 

AT EVENING SCHOOL LIVING AMID ELEGANT 

SURROUNDINGS. 

It was now September. Archie had been in New 
York the whole summer through, attending carefully 
to his work on the Evening Enterprisey and continu- 
ing his study of stenography. He had taken occa- 
sional trips to Long Branch and Asbury Park on 
Saturday afternoons, but every other day he spent 
in working up ideas for the paper, and each evening 
he devoted to the shorthand school. By this time, 
though, he felt that he knew all that was necessary 
of shorthand, and found himself more free to go 
about in the evenings. He visited his friends more 
frequently, and sometimes spent whole evenings in 
studying works on English literature, for he was 
ambitious to know more of the great work he had 
decided to make his own. This study was not really 
work to him, for his interest in everything connected 


234 


SECRETARY TO A MILLIONAIRE. 235 

with literature was so great that he found a pleasure 
in reading even the most classical books on the sub- 
ject, and of course so much reading of this sort did 
a great deal to educate his mind along this line of 
work. 

One evening in the early fall, Archie decided to 
accept the invitation of Mr. Depaw, the railway presi- 
dent, to call. So he carefully dressed himself in the 
best he had, and walked up Fifth Avenue and into 
the side street where the great man had his home. 
He rang the bell and presented his card, and waited 
in the drawing-room for an answer. The footman 
was gone but a moment, and returning, announced 
that the family would be down directly. Archie was 
very much pleased that he was to meet the entire 
family, and looked about him with great interest at 
the elegant furnishings of the room in which he sat. 
He couldn’t help thinking how lovely it must be to 
have so many books, so many pictures, and so many 
works of art of every kind. The boy thought then 
that he would like to be a wealthy man, just to be 
able to gratify his desires for beautiful things. 

He had to wait only a short time before the genial 
Mr. Depaw entered the room, accompanied by several 
members of the family. Archie was greeted very 


236 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

warmly, and introduced to every one, and then they 
immediately began an animated conversation, in which 
Archie soon found himself taking an active part, 
much to his surprise. He felt that he had never 
before realised what a great gift it is to be able to 
talk entertainingly, and this evening was a revelation 
to him in the ways of good society. He found that 
every one was much interested in the story of his 
adventures, and he talked more about them than for 
a long time past. He was now beginning to feel that 
his Philippine experiences were an old story, but he 
learned that they were quite as entertaining as ever 
to these people. But they did not talk entirely about 
Archie. They realised that this would be embarrass- 
ing to him, and they were careful to guide the con- 
versation into a discussion of music and literature, 
and whatever else they imagined him to like. And 
so it was that the evening passed very quickly, and it 
was time to leave before he knew it. Then he was 
asked to be sure to call again, and Mr. Depaw, as he 
accompanied him to the door, requested him to call 
at his office on the following Wednesday, if possible. 
Archie promised, and walked home down the avenue, 
wondering what it could be that Mr. Depaw wanted 
to talk to him about. He didn’t worry long about it. 


SECRETARY TO A MILLIONAIRE. 237 

however, but went home and to bed as quickly as 
possible, for he had formed a habit of rising at six 
o’clock in the morning to study. 

The days passed quickly until Wednesday, and 
the afternoon of that day found Archie in the wait- 
ing-room of Mr. Depaw’s office. He had not long to 
sit there after sending in his card, for the busy man 
received him as soon as he could get rid of his 
present visitor. He shook Archie warmly by the 
hand as he entered, and then, pulling two chairs 
together, they sat down. “ I have been thinking for 
some time,” said Mr. Depaw, “that I need a sort of 
private secretary. Of course I have men here at the 
office who take dictation from me, and who fulfil the 
duties of a secretary to a certain extent, but I want 
a young man who can attend somewhat to my personal 
affairs ; I want one whom I can trust, and one who is 
likely to grow as he works along, so that eventually he 
may be able to fill any place I may have open for 
him.” Then he stopped a moment, and Archie felt 
his heart beating very fast beneath his coat. He 
waited almost breathlessly to hear what Mr. Depaw 
would say next. 

“ Ever since I met you first,” he at last went on, 
“ I have somehow thought that you are the kind of a 


238 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER, 

young fellow I would like. You are ambitious, you 
are persevering, and you are willing to learn. You 
say, too, that you know shorthand, and I know that 
you are a good penman. You have seen quite a 
little of the world, I am sure, and I think you can 
prove yourself equal to almost any occasion. The 
only question is whether you will care to give up 
reporting for a position of this kind. I can assure 
you that I will pay you as much as you are earning 
now, and I shall be glad to offer you a home at my 
house, because I shall want you at my right hand all 
the time. Do you think you will care to take the 
place } ” 

Archie could hardly speak, it was all so wonderful, 
but finally he recovered himself sufficiently to ex- 
plain his hesitancy in accepting the position. I 
would like just one day,” he said, “to consult with 
my friends on the newspaper. You see Mr. Jennings 
and Mr. Van Bunting have been very good to me, 
and I shouldn’t care to leave them now if they 
object very strongly.” 

“ That’s quite right, quite right,” said Mr. Depaw. 
“ I can appreciate your feelings, and you can tell the 
editor that you will have some time for writing, and 
that you will contribute occasional articles to his 


SECRETARY TO A MILLIONAIRE. 239 

paper.” Archie was now delighted. Oh, thank 
you,” he cried. “ I am sure I can come now.” 

‘‘Well, come in at this time to-morrow,” said Mr. 
Depaw, “and let me know what you have decided 
to do.” 

Archie hurried at once to Mr. Jennings’s office to 
tell him the good news. He wondered how his 
friend would take it, but all his fears were soon put 
at rest. “Archie,” said Mr. Jennings, “this is the 
best opportunity you can ever have to improve your- 
self in every way. Mr. Depaw is a man highly 
respected all over the country, and a man who is 
known to be extraordinary in many ways. Associa- 
tion with such a man will do more for you than four 
years in college, and you will make a mistake if you 
do not accept his offer. Of course we shall all be 
sorry to lose you here, but, as Mr. Depaw says, you 
will have some time for writing, and we hope you 
will always continue to do some work for us.” 

Archie could almost have thrown his arms about 
Mr. Jennings’s neck to hug him for his splendid 
feeling, and when, a little later, Mr. Van Bunting 
said practically the same thing, he felt that he had 
never known two such men. He assured them 
both that he would never forget them, but would 


240 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

try and spend as much time as possible in the 
Enterprise office. 

The next day he called again on Mr. Depaw, and 
told him of his decision to accept the place, and the 
good man seemed overjoyed. ‘‘ I will see that you 
never forget it, Archie,” he said. It was arranged 
for him to begin work the very next day. “ Y ou 
can transfer your things to my house as soon 
as you like, for your room is waiting for you, 
and I will begin to-morrow to teach you how to do 
things.” 

And now Archie found it hard to leave the dear 
little room in the quaint old square, which was 
looking now just as when he saw it first. The 
leaves in the trees were turning brown and gold, 
and Archie realised that he had been away from 
home more than a year. ‘‘Oh, I must go back 
soon,” he said to himself, ‘‘or I shall simply die of 
homesickness.” 

In a couple of days he was installed as a member 
of the Depaw household, and he soon felt at home 
there. Every one was very kind to him, he was 
given a handsome room, and everything seemed 
almost perfect. One of the best things about it all 
was that he had access to the fine library, and he 


AMID ELEGANT SURROUNDINGS. 24 1 

longed for the long winter evenings when he could 
devour the many interesting books he saw there. 
He was soon initiated into his work, and it was 
much easier than he had expected. Mr. Depaw, of 
course, started him very gradually, so that he learned 
as he went along. Every morning at eight o’clock 
he was in the library with Mr. Depaw, taking dicta- 
tion, and receiving instructions for the day. They 
remained together here until ten o’clock, when Mr. 
Depaw either walked or drove to his office. Archie 
always accompanied him, and took charge of some of 
the mail there, attending to it during the morning. 
Then at noon he returned to the house, where he 
spent the afternoon in writing the letters which had 
been dictated in the morning, and in doing various 
things for Mr. Depaw. The evenings he always 
had to himself, and he had no difficulty .in finding 
enough to do at home without going out. He 
almost invariably passed the evenings in reading, but 
occasionally he was asked to accompany the family 
to some musical event at the opera house, for they 
had soon learned of his love for music. 

In work and study the winter passed quickly 
and happily for Archie, who now felt quite at ease 
amid his elegant surroundings. His only wish was 


242 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

that he might go home, and as spring approached 
Mr. Depaw promised him that he should have a 
short vacation. The suggestion of Mr. Depaw that 
Archie’s mother come to New York for a week was 
heartily accepted by Archie, but when he wrote home 
Mrs. Dunn replied that she would rather wait for 
Archie at home. She had never visited New York, 
and felt that she wouldn’t like it. 

Bill Hickson came over very often from the navy 
yard, and was always a welcome visitor at Mr. 
Depaw’s office. He didn’t seem to care for his work 
in Brooklyn, however, and Archie finally requested a 
place for him about the elegant new station which 
the road had just constructed in the city. Mr. 
Depaw very readily gave him an excellent position, 
one which he could keep always if he so desired. 
And Bill was highly pleased with his new work, so 
much so that he surprised them all one day in the 
spring by leading into the office a young lady whom 
he introduced as his wife. Of course Archie was 
very much pleased at this new development, for 
he had often thought that his friend must be very 
lonely, living in a boarding-house. 

The days were all busy ones for Archie now. He 
had learned the work so thoroughly that he was 


AMID ELEGANT SURROUNDINGS. 


243 


given more than ever to do, and he still continued 
to write, too, for the Enterprise. He worked too 
hard, however, and in April he looked so thin that 
Mr. Depaw sent him home for a week’s rest. 


CHAPTER XXVI. 


DECIDES TO VISIT HOME A GREAT RECEPTION IN 

THE TOWN A PUBLIC CHARACTER NOW 

DINNER TO THE HUT CLUB DEMONSTRATION 

AT THE TOWN HALL A TELEGRAM FROM HIS 

EMPLOYER LEAVING FOR EUROPE. 

It was a beautiful April day. There had been a 
light shower in the morning, and now everything 
looked as fresh and green as possible all along the 
railway. Archie lay back in his comfortable Wagner 
seat, admiring the beauties of spring, and thinking, 
too, of the days he spent in walking along this very 
road. It seemed hard to believe that he was now 
secretary to the president of this railroad, and that 
he was returning home, after a year and a half, a 
very successful young man. He had much to think 
of in the hours it would take him to reach the little 
town. He tried to remember everything about the 
place, and his mother as he saw her last, and it wasn’t 
at all difficult for him to do so. But, oh, how he 


244 


DECIDES TO VISIT HOME. 245 

hoped that things had not changed ! He almost 
dreaded going home for fear he would find things 
different. 

He had changed, that much was sure. He knew 
that he had grown to look much older than his years, 
and he knew that he was not looking particularly 
strong. He used to be so sturdy, and he had such 
a splendid colour in his cheeks. Mother would be 
sorry to see him now, but of course he would be sure 
to improve very much during the week he was to 
remain among old friends. 

He was very anxious to see his boy friends, the 
members of the Hut Club, and the boys and girls 
who were in his class at school. He had telegraphed 
his mother that he was coming, so she would probably 
tell the boys about it. He was sure they would be 
there. 

Now the stations looked more familiar. This one 
just passed was near the Tinch farm, and Archie 
remembered the days he spent working for old Hiram, 
and how he had suffered. He wondered if the farmer 
had ever seen any copies of the Enterprise. It would 
be very interesting to him to know that his chore- 
boy was now a secretary to a millionaire. This next 
station he remembered very well indeed, because he 


246 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

used to come here every fall to visit the county fair, 
where he marvelled at the wonderful things he saw 
in the side-shows. 

And now the train was entering the limits of his 
own town. Here was the old elevator, and the 
machine shop near the railway track. And, oh, there 
was his own home, looking green and pleasant as the 
train sped by. It almost brought tears to Archie’s 
eyes to think that he was so soon to see his mother. 
Now they had reached the station, and he stood 
upon the car platform ready to alight. My, what a 
crowd there was ! and why did they cheer as he made 
his appearance ^ All at once it dawned upon him that 
all these people were here to meet him, and to bid 
him welcome home. He could hardly speak as he 
found himself in his mother’s arms, and then he began 
to shake the hands of the big crowd. They were all 
old friends, and then there was the mayor, and the 
superintendent of schools, and quite a delegation of 
leading citizens. How nice it was of them to welcome 
him in this way ! 

After awhile the handshaking was over, and the 
mayor was able to get a few minutes with Archie. 
“We are all very proud of what you have accom- 
plished,” he said, “and we want to give you a public 


A GREA T RECEPTION. 


247 


reception to-morrow night in the town hall, if you 
don’t object.” Archie stared blankly at the mayor, 
and it was several moments before he realised the 
meaning of the words. Then he was almost over- 
come. It was almost too good to be true, it seemed, 
but he warmly thanked the mayor, and told him how 
he appreciated the honour which they had done 
him. He said that he would be glad to attend the 
reception. 

The crowd was scattering now, and Archie, wild 
to reach home, took his mother to a carriage, in which 
they drove rapidly out to the little house among the 
trees and arbours. The old town looked beautiful in 
every way. The great maple and oak trees along 
the road were green with new leaves, and every door- 
yard was bright with snowballs and yellow roses. 

This is the very best time of the year,” he said to 
his mother, “ and I am the very happiest boy in all 
the world.” 

‘‘ And I am the happiest mother,” was the answer. 
Then they sat in silence until they reached the old 
home. They entered by the kitchen door, and, once 
inside, and seated in the old cane rocking-chair, 
Archie bowed his head in tears of joy at being home 
with mother once again. 


248 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

The hours which followed were sweet with joy. 
Mrs. Dunn busied herself in preparing the supper, 
and Archie hung around the kitchen, telling some of 
the many things he had planned to tell. Mrs. Dunn 
was smiling, and Archie thought her the sweetest 
mother any boy could have. She was changed 
somewhat, but she looked very young to-day. 

Supper over, Archie went over the fence to see 
the Sullivan boys, and he found them looking much 
the same. He was truly glad to see them, and they, 
of course, were glad to see him, too, though at first 
they were just a little bashful, remembering, no 
doubt, all the things which had happened to Archie 
since they saw him last. The boys were soon telling 
all about the Hut Club, though, and Archie learned 
to his joy that it was still a flourishing organisation. 
‘‘We spoke of you every time we were together,” 
said Jack, “ and we always wished you were back 
again.” Archie was delighted to hear that he had 
been missed, and all at once an idea came to him 
which he put into execution three days later. He 
determined to give an elegant dinner to this club of 
boys, and the very next day he sent to New York 
for a caterer to arrange it. He wanted it to be 
something finer than any of the boys had ever seen, 


DINNER TO THE HUT CLUB. 249 

and it certainly turned out to be so. The caterer 

did his best, and when, three days later, the Hut 
Club sat down together for the first time in more 
than eighteen months, they partook of a dinner which 
would have done credit to Mr. Depaw’s table. It 

was a memorable night for them all, and every boy 

enjoyed himself. 

Archie enjoyed this Hut Club dinner more than 
anything else while he was at home, though of course 
the great event of his stay was the public reception 
at the Town Hall on the second evening after his 
arrival. This was a truly grand affair. The town 
authorities hired a brass band, which played inside 
the hall and out, and there was such a crowd in 
attendance that many were turned away from the 
doors. It was a night that Archie will never be able 
to forget. He sat on the platform, in company with 
the mayor and other town officials, and he listened 
to several speeches congratulating him on what he 
had accomplished since leaving the town. Then he 
had to get up and tell them all of his experiences, 
from the time he left until now. He told it in a 
simple manner, but from the close attention he 
received it was evident his audience was deeply 
interested. When he had finished, there were calls 


250 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

for “ three cheers for Archie Dunn,” and they were 
given with a will. Then Archie, rising from his seat, 
called for three cheers for the President of the 
United States,” and they, too, were given, for Archie 
had told them all his feelings on the subject of the 
President’s policy in the war. After this there were 
three cheers for Mr. Depaw, whom one man said 
would be the next United States Senator from the 
State. The meeting closed with some cheers for 
the New York Enterprise^ and then followed a long 
siege of handshaking for Archie, who stood beside 
his mother on the floor in front of the platform. It 
was a happy night for them both, and Mrs. Dunn 
said afterward that she could never wish for any- 
thing more the rest of her life. 

The fourthMay of his visit was a Sunday, and, to 
Archie’s joy, brave Bill Hickson and his wife came 
up from the city to spend the day. What a jolly 
time they had, all day long ! They went to church 
in the morning, where they saw all the people, it 
seemed, whom they hadn’t seen before, and in the 
afternoon there were many callers at the little house. 
The evening was spent quietly by the happy four, 
talking of old times and plans for the future. The 
town authorities were anxious to give Bill Hickson a 


A TELEGRAM. 


251 

reception while he was in town, but the bashful hero 
declined the honour, and returned with his wife to New 
York by the midnight train. 

During the two succeeding days Archie talked a 
great deal with his mother, and finally gained her 
consent to come to New York to live in a year’s 
time. Mrs. Dunn had never really understood that 
Archie had so good a position, but now that she 
realised what a splendid beginning he had made, she 
was very willing to come and keep house for him. 
This question settled, everything seemed wholly 
delightful in the cosy home, and Archie settled 
down to enjoy the two remaining days of his visit 
in quiet rest. He had already much improved during 
his stay, and was sure of going back to the city feel- 
ing much better than for a long time past, and this 
made Mrs. Dunn very happy. 

But Archie didn’t stay his week out at home. On 
the fifth night he attended a reception in his honour 
at one of the neighbours’ houses, and he was just in 
the midst of a description of Tokio when a messenger 
boy entered with a telegram for him. He opened it 
at once, and read it aloud to the company : 

Dear Archie,” it said, “ return as soon as possi- 
ble. I sail for Europe on Saturday’s steamer to 


252 THE ADVENTURES OF A BOY REPORTER. 

remain six months, and wish you to accompany me.” 
It was signed by Mr. Depaw, and there was great 
applause from the crowd when he finished reading 
it. But Archie’s face was a study. He wasn’t sure 
whether he wanted to go to Europe or not, but of 
course there was no question about what he should 
do. He at once telegraphed a reply, saying that he 
would reach the city to-morrow at noon, leaving home 
on the early morning train. 

Of course the reception soon broke up, and Archie 
walked quietly home with his mother, who was sad- 
dened at the prospect of losing him so soon again. 
She soon brightened, however, and began to plan 
things for him to do abroad, and soon she entered 
into the preparation for his departure with all her 
heart. But Archie was not so soon made glad, and 
he didn’t rest until he made his mother promise to 
accompany him to the city on the morrow to spend 
the two days previous to his departure in helping him 
get ready. Mrs. Dunn wasn’t anxious to make the 
trip, but for Archie’s sake she consented. 

And early the next morning they left for the city, 
where the time passed rapidly until the hour of the 
steamer’s sailing. At the pier they said good-bye. 
Archie could hardly speak, but Mrs. Dunn was brave. 


LEAVING FOR EUROPE. 


253 


‘‘Archie,” she said, “God has been with you so far 
and he will keep you yet. And remember that a 
boy with honest ambition will always get along. 
You are sure to have friends about you always, for 
you have proved that you possess energy, persever- 
ance and a good heart.” She said good-bye without 
a tear, but as the steamer left the pier Archie saw, 
on looking back, a sweet mother seated on a coil of 
rope, with her handkerchief to her eyes. 


THE END. 








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